X-com Bomber!

[Snakeman]

Yeah, if the strafing runs were unpredictable much of the time, you'd use caution in using it. That said, at least it could give another aspect to the pilot unit class a reason to train and improve...and another facility for that to take up more base module space.

 

See, lots of reasons to have something, and slam a cost(s) on it one way or another

[Airsean]

Might be neat if the idea was that you might be allowed to use it once per mission. You highlight a 6 or 8 block pattern of squares and then call in a precison strike. Maybe its a firing run from an Interceptor, or maybe you could purchase an "ASA"(Atmosphere to Surface Artillery) Sattelite system. That would do the same thing. To balance it though it would have to be very expensive to use and maintain, and I would think that it would only be good for 1 use per battle. And perhaps the Aliens would have some chance at distrupting the signal causing the shots to lose lock and hit in an unexpected place. I like the idea though, it would be cool for some heroic Sgt. who is mortally wounded and cant get to a medikit intime to be able to call down a strike on himself taking 3 Chrysallyds with him. Or adding to the dillema of calling an artillery strike down on a building that might contain civillians. I always play to protect the civillians on a terror map. I will have my commander step in front of a civilian and turn himself into a shield if I can get there in time. When I get Psi, I always have a Civilian Liasion Officer, whos sole responsibillity is to round up as many civilians as possible and move them to a safe place.

 

Realisticly, ground troops are always supported by some kind of heavy weapons, but then again how realistic is it for a Snakeman to slither around a city killing people??? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

lets face it, this is OUR planet, and with all the advanced technology in place to kill our own kind, the aliens in x-com would be easy pickings. They would have to do serious damage to our sattelite network in order to castrize the cooler technologies in operation, and even then, theres just so many ways to kill people these days that it numbs the mind.

[sir_schwick]

Aliens won't knock out our satellites because of the global depression it would cause. No matter their technology, they cannot forecibly occupy this planet because there are billions of humas with guns versus the few million the Cydonia facility can support. They need human leaders who can control the population if they want a semi-peaceful occupation. Of course the other option for alien victory is blasting Earth from orbit, but that means no slaves or new recruits in this sector.

 

HOwever their ships can shoot beams at the surface just like any Earth ship, probably better. Expect some heat if the aliens get a bead on you.

[Airsean]

Aliens won't knock out our satellites because of the global depression it would cause.  No matter their technology, they cannot forecibly occupy this planet because there are billions of humas with guns versus the few million the Cydonia facility can support.  They need human leaders who can control the population if they want a semi-peaceful occupation.  Of course the other option for alien victory is blasting Earth from orbit, but that means no slaves or new recruits in this sector.

 

HOwever their ships can shoot beams at the surface just like any Earth ship, probably better.  Expect some heat if the aliens get a bead on you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

The kind of technology that is in developement right now here on earth, I wouldnt be surprised if an advanced alien race could peg me in the head with a laser from the moon and leave everyone standing around me wondering why my eyes are glowing red.

[Adun_Toridas]

http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/images/b61_11.jpg

 

Well, i guess it would be a good idea to include some precision bombers (to make alien bases and crashes a little easier... )

[GreatGold]

Howdy -

 

This was an idea that was tossed around way back in the day. Here is a link to a thread that was never totally ended, but would be a good place for a precision bomber thread to start.

 

http://www.xcomufo.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1469

edit by j'ordos: merged these topics, so this link just leads back to this topic now

 

Just some food for thought. In my own opinion... I like the idea but it needs to be implemented very carefully. I think it would actually be a bit more complicated than it appears. I do't know if anyone here played the original boardgame BattleTech, but when you got to the advanced rules and how air support and artillary worked, it could be a doosy. Applying that to X-Com, there is the financial and logisitial aspect, the actual tactical gameplay aspect, and the balanced game design aspect. Would be cool though.

 

Thanks,

Gold

 

EDIT: And while we are on the topic... Here is what I mean by the logisitcs of it. Would you need a hanger to house each strike aircraft? If so, is it a special hanger type or the generic hangor, and do you need a new one for each strike aircraft (as you normally would for anyother aircraft in the game). Do you need to research these craft, or just buy them. How much do they cost, and the monthly maintenance? Do you need to buy/train special pilots. How effective are these strikes. What modifies the effectiveness of the stikes? Can you upgrade the vehicle as the technology you use becomes better. Can they be shot down?

 

So there are a lot of variables that need to be accounted for to make this work in a stratgic, tactical, programmable manner. But, heck yeah, I think it would make a nice addition to a future version (if not the first version).

Edited January 16, 2005 by j'ordos

[Qonfused]

and how fun is it to bomb downed ufos,

you bomb them and theyr dead. boring.

[Adun_Toridas]

1. Not Bombers, Perhaps Artillery shells.

 

http://www.planetcnc.com/generals/gameinfo/sides/chineseexperience/artillerybarrage.gif

 

2. All the area (not only 8 Squares but 15x15) would be wiped off.

 

3. At bases it could make them... "easier" (but less stuff and aliens prevented, so they´ll be waiting you).

[Qonfused]

most artilary takes a few minuit from its fired to it hits the target, how manny rounds is that?

[Adun_Toridas]

Perhaps 10´ in Geoscape (provide there is a base near) or a couple of turns in BattleScape. And maybe 20 to 25 shells

[GreatGold]

But, lets consider the fact that many missions occur near housing developments, farms etc. I just don't think Government Y would appreciate an artillery barrage on their country's soil. Perhaps there would need to be limits on what type of terrain/areas could be barraged/bombed?

 

Thanks,

Gold

[Cpl. Facehugger]

Plus, an artillery barrage is pretty obvious, and certainly isn't conductive to maintaining the X-Corps' secrecy.

[Robo Dojo 58]

Plus, an artillery barrage is pretty obvious, and certainly isn't conductive to maintaining the X-Corps' secrecy.

The same thing goes for the aliens. Both sides definately don't want to be seen. If the aliens were known about, the people would panic and it'd ruin their plans. If X-Corps were discovered, the people would panic and it'd ruin their resources. Big problems all around.

[Snakeman]

Perhaps some sort of compromise can be made with regard to the reasons governments might allow for artillery/bomber support?

 

I think that if there's a catch built in to where for example --- for the ability to keep a nation's funding at a steady level or higher, requires (albeit one type of requirement, but not a have-to thing every mission - you make the call after all) means that you have to let the local military in on some secrets (and give them some standoffish actions to perform - bombing and artillery can fall here). I look at it as part of the whole snowball effect of diplomacy and nations' loyalties. Selling excess wares you recover go someplace after all so perhaps its one tradeoff as well for even getting it (artillery ability) let alone being allowed to conduct operations in other countries.

 

Agreed though that its implimentation has to be weighted very carefully. If the bombing or artillery isn't that accurate, it can mess things up for you big time, plus at the risk of anihilating a cut for that nation for its help.

[mikker]

Plus, an artillery barrage is pretty obvious, and certainly isn't conductive to maintaining the X-Corps' secrecy.

The same thing goes for the aliens. Both sides definately don't want to be seen. If the aliens were known about, the people would panic and it'd ruin their plans. If X-Corps were discovered, the people would panic and it'd ruin their resources. Big problems all around.

 

then they should really stop making terror sites then

[Durandal]

I don't understand why we need a bombing option. We already have plenty of artillery/mortar support in the form of the blaster launcher. If you want more, just add a "heavy" variant to the ammo list. Heavy Blaster Bombs, now that would be something!

 

It seems fun until you remember that you will first meet them will be when they are used on you, and if you survive to salvage one, you have to research it and manufacture it to use it on the aliens.

 

If you want to skip the "hunt down the two sectoids from the small scout" missions, then shoot down the scout and ignore it. You still get points for shooting it down, even if you don't salvage it. Generally though, I like scouts. I like to let them land and I send in my best troops. The two or three guys with the worst accuracy hunt down the aliens, the rest run laps holding dual autoconnons and tons of ammo belts. This is the only reason that I ever used Lightnings, to follow and ground-attack scouts with my 11 best guys and a meat-shield rookie.

[sir_schwick]

Squad support weapons are not the same thing as artillery.

 

Also, using counter-intuitive methods to accomplish what you want is generally does not add to the flow or feel of the game.

 

Also, being overburdened does not help your troops. Strength is increased by melee attacks and hitting aliens.

 

_______________________________________________-----

 

Snakeman, I read your thing and am rethinking it. Maybe part of country fudning should be the 'goodies bar' which determines when you get certain goodies. If you do well enough, some of the goodies include 'artillery' and 'air' support. Of course how those always work is that the artillery/air crews are told its a 'live-fire' exercise. THye know better than to ask and it is all good.

[Snakeman]

Snakeman, I read your thing and am rethinking it. Maybe part of country fudning should be the 'goodies bar' which determines when you get certain goodies. If you do well enough, some of the goodies include 'artillery' and 'air' support. Of course how those always work is that the artillery/air crews are told its a 'live-fire' exercise. THye know better than to ask and it is all good.

 

Exactly. The reasons for the tactical choice of calling in airstrikes/artillery is just filler for the manual or ufopedia along with all the other story elements for things.

 

Functionally, under the hood so to speak, it can be a limited affair by way of "sorties" or what have you (i.e. a button can appear on your tactical bar with the number of strikes open to you), and these abilities tied directly to the happy meter of said country its happening within. Placating these countries with a cut of whatever you can bring to the table, from research to sold wares, can allow varying levels of military activity there in the future with resepect as well to repercussion effects in political climate if they're not strictly adhered to.

 

So for example, if your not selling too much to a country, doing missions there several times to boot, you can imagine a government wouldn't be that happy and more likely to be on that slippery slope of defection faster than most.

 

I also like the thought along with this, one aspect I've touched on before too, about potentially having to duke it out with rival human armies - inbetween your struggles with the aliens (and sometimes because of them - diplomacy is weird after all).

 

I just find it interesting too how different things can bleed into other areas that can also effect gameplay strategies. Artillery and air strikes fall here, but fundamentally, I think to use anything more than blaster launchers in the field, there should be some greater ramification at work. Diplomacy is a nice consequence to stuff.

[Sinscale17]

Hmm... First off, the aliens are in no way interested in "secrecy", and in no way concerned with Earth economic stability. The "ending" to UFO puts this across quite simply. The aliens, once victorious over X-Com, set about systematic extermination of the entire Earth populace, since no other power could stand toe to toe with their endless armies of clones.

One way or another, aliens, at the very least, would be public knowledge at least after their first Terror mission (unless you really think numbers of people such as "the entire city of New York" could be instantly silenced), even if X-Corps could be passed off as the local army (a local army with about ten nationalities, none of whom spoke the local language and ran around firing rayguns at least).

 

And what real care would the alien forces have about the economic collapse of nations, continents, or even the entire globe? If a country has no economy, it can field no army, if it can't field an army, then what's the most dangerous thing a population could come up with? Pistols? You know how helpful those would be against a mixed army of Sectopods, Mutons and Ethereal mind controllers.

Even if the alien forces couldn't churn out more than a Terror ship a month, unfettered by army and X-Corps, they'd have no real deadline to return home, unlike their usual smash and grab fare, and could cheerfully carry out total extermination of the population center.

Probably one of the first things done on arrival would be to blow up any dangerous looking satellites, it's not like anyone can stop them.

 

 

As to the idea of close air support, this would in dangerous situations put the craft in more danger than actually landing on TOP of a battleship, and for what real gain?

 

In the typical UFO recovery mission, when the ship has already been downed, the need for either the suggested airstrike or the "Lightning beatdown" would be minimal, and would simply obliterate an already battered opposition for no real benefit.

 

In a landed UFO mission, if the aliens saw incoming fighters, artillery weapons or any such things coming, they could simply alight and immolate the lot in their vastly superior armoured spaceship (except against something like a small scout, but again.... why bother?). If faced with an airborne X-Corps vehicle suddenly coming into view, they'd all scarper back to their UFO, and start battling it out in proper ship battle.

If you've gone to all the trouble of catching a UFO on the ground, why would you then risk all the ship damage and lose the elerium/power source? An airstrike that would eliminate the biggest advantage to landed UFO hunts? Once again, in this scenario an Airstrike wouldn't be worthwhile.

 

In Terror missions (assuming it was even an option), you'd destroy property, civilians, more civilians, just a bit more property, and a few aliens, most likely before your Lightning crashing through a wall Overspawn style and dying under the falling rubble. What is there in a terror mission that might need an airstrike? Aliens don't exactly build bunkers or anything like that.

 

So, lastly we come to Alien Bases. Now here, with easily fortifiable alien positions, heavy artillery in the form of Blaster Launchers, and large numbers of enemies, air support would come in handy.

Unfortunately, bases are underground and impregnable to such an assault.

 

 

So, basically, in the only mission where you might feasibly need such an advantage (And even then, it would be pretty cheap), you can't actually use it anyway. This is certainly in the "wouldn't it be cool if we got our ships to do all the work" vein of things rather than adding any real tactical depth to the game. This idea doesn't mesh with the tactical squad mentality of the X-Com series any better than it would for you to be able to send out your men on foot to shoot down spaceships with their blaster launchers.

 

Seriously, if you want heavy support firepower, invest in two guys whose job it is to just sit on piles of blaster launcher munitions and level the battlefield every turn, and if you really must, dump out a mod where everything is upgraded to ship-level weapons.

 

As to the Lightning's "turret" design, note that the turret stands at a bare minimum of seven feet in the air, and does not tilt downwards (since that would destroy the ship just a tad). The only use it would have is 360 degree arc of death that only effected.... Floaters.

 

Rather than trying to add features to the game just for the sake of it, achieve balance for the Lightning in traditional videogame manner:

Have the Avenger equivalent become a slow moving (compared to the other elerium fuelled vessels at least) flying tank that isn't quite the same unstoppable interception monster it was in the original, keep the Firestorm version as fast and fuel efficient, but the most fragile ship in the game, and grant the Lightning the happy medium, a fuel efficient transport/interceptor that combines the best of both worlds in a jack of all trades niche.

Now when you let the player choose whether to specialise or not, you once again have freedom in the way you play the game, each equally valid.

 

On the plus side, human force opposition is still a good idea. Why not terrorist organisations who don't care about the aliens as much as promoting their cause through weapons of mass plasma death? Or governments mortally offended by your continuously blowing up their capital city (And on that note - visitting cities without terror sites? How cool could that be?) with plasma fire. Sometimes it's nice to take a break from pure E.T.s

 

Yeah, sorry to be critical, but this really can't work out too well.

[Durandal]

I know that a Blaster Launcher is not the same as artillery. It is better. If handled well it is accurate 100% of the time. It can shoot around corners and above or below obstacles. It take little time to load, aim, and fire. Artillery can miss and hit your own soldiers. Artillery takes time: first you call in a strike, they load, aim, fire the shell, the shell takes time to fly in. So I don't see how artillery can help. If you wanted to bombard aliens in the field, they will move before the shells hit. If you want to bombard the UFO, you can do that already with Blaster Launchers. If you want to hit the UFO on the ground before your guys go in to kill some aliens or destroy the crash site with minimal effort, that misses the point of the game (squad-based combat). Personally I ignore downed small scouts later in the game, or try to shoot them down over water. It may not seem realistic (a real general would capture each and every downed UFO), but it's how the game works. Like making your troops run laps in combat: yes it would not happen in real life, but I want high stamina stats so that's what they do. If the game had a training center back at base, I would use that instead. That may be more realistic, but it takes away from the fun in that you could take any rookie and train him for months on end to get a super-soldier while he hasn't seen any aliens. IMHO that's why they didn't include a training center in UFO Defense.

 

With all that said, if you really want a way to destroy those small UFOs later on (without actually going in to do it), a biological or chemical airstrike option could do it. Using a nerve gas that only kills aliens so you don't have the problems of destroyed property and dead civillians, you can avoid the diplomacy issues. It would only work on crashed small UFOs because even larger crashed UFOs would have some intact rooms for the aliens to hide in. And any landed UFOs would not be affected because they are still intact. This option seems to fit the spirit of the game better, or at least it would give us a reason to get our scientists to dissect the Alien buggers.

[Moriarty]

the following is

 

IMHO the thing about the blaster bomb launcher is that it is too strong anyway. It's kind of like a "smart bomb" in arcade games, very much unbalanced if available in large quantities. Maybe it should be augmented by decreasing the blast radius to 1 or even 0, calling it an "implosion field weapon" or something. but perhaps this discussion should be carried on somewhere else.

[Snakeman]

Hmm... First off, the aliens are in no way interested in "secrecy", and in no way concerned with Earth economic stability. The "ending" to UFO puts this across quite simply. The aliens, once victorious over X-Com, set about systematic extermination of the entire Earth populace, since no other power could stand toe to toe with their endless armies of clones.

 

With respect to their ongoing infiltration attempts, I'd have to disagree that the aliens aren't interested in some secrecy, at least, initially. I've always believed that the way things unfolded had a lot to do with them making sure they had no resistance so they could then do the things they wanted to much more openly like you just said.

 

For them to have a part in instigating the sort of chaos among the nations of our world just serves to make their job much easier while we fight amongst ourselves, so in this respect, I think diplomacy ought to take a different approach or slightly more indepth one in this game than the first incarnation we know.

 

Agreed though that once terror sites begin to occur in the more famous cities, there ought to eventually be no secrets over time. I like it simply from the chaos aspects besides any potential diplomacy boons if any. Even if the public at large began to know they weren't alone and these visitors were obviously hostile, it then should be a concern that X-COM's activities drag out their secretiveness a while longer for fear of rival human military intervention.

 

There are some good thoughts too along these lines in a thread here about extending the losing outcome longer, letting the player continue onward to try to recover in some fashion (forget the thread but its here).

 

But back to the artillery thing. My view on it is that its purely a last ditch sort of option in battle where results of the sorties themselves are random. i.e. You risk destruction to your own detachement/craft on the ground plus loss of salvagable equipment. True, the blaster bomb is better suited to surgical strikes by your own men, but what could you do if ammunition was a major issue?

 

It could mean the difference between winning a battle (at appreciable loss to you and marketable stuff and research opportunities), or being able to limp on out of there if you needed to disuade pursuit during a retreat. Anyway, I think it might be fun to use, but I can't imagine using it would help your points for the mission, quite the contrary (and not unlike using blaster launchers anyway in populated environs).

[Durandal]

Hmm... First off, the aliens are in no way interested in "secrecy", and in no way concerned with Earth economic stability. The "ending" to UFO puts this across quite simply. The aliens, once victorious over X-Com, set about systematic extermination of the entire Earth populace, since no other power could stand toe to toe with their endless armies of clones.

 

With respect to their ongoing infiltration attempts, I'd have to disagree that the aliens aren't interested in some secrecy, at least, initially. I've always believed that the way things unfolded had a lot to do with them making sure they had no resistance so they could then do the things they wanted to much more openly like you just said.

 

For them to have a part in instigating the sort of chaos among the nations of our world just serves to make their job much easier while we fight amongst ourselves, so in this respect, I think diplomacy ought to take a different approach or slightly more indepth one in this game than the first incarnation we know.

 

But back to the artillery thing. My view on it is that its purely a last ditch sort of option in battle where results of the sorties themselves are random. i.e. You risk destruction to your own detachement/craft on the ground plus loss of salvagable equipment. True, the blaster bomb is better suited to surgical strikes by your own men, but what could you do if ammunition was a major issue?

 

It could mean the difference between winning a battle (at appreciable loss to you and marketable stuff and research opportunities), or being able to limp on out of there if you needed to disuade pursuit during a retreat. Anyway, I think it might be fun to use, but I can't imagine using it would help your points for the mission, quite the contrary (and not unlike using blaster launchers anyway in populated environs).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I agree that the Aliens are interested in secrecy. In another post about the humans using nuclear weapons against the Aliens, someone said that if we used nukes then the Aliens would hit us back with whatever they have that is more powerful than our fission weapons. I always figured that the Aliens are tougher than us, but they couldn't do that because of a lack of interest. Think of it this way: the XCom war is like World War II, and Sol is some island in the middle of the Mediterranean (or Pacific Ocean.) The Germans (or Japanese) could come in and hit the island with wave after wave of aircraft and ships until the island is uninhabitable, but our little island is not a high priority. So the local Alien Overmind is given just enough resources to hold Mars as a waystation and monitor Humanity so we don't become a threat (but not enough troops to take on and exterminate the billions of us.)

 

But about artillery: there has to be a way for the aliens to win occasionally. It's pretty rare that the Aliens have ever beat me in any battle, years at least (it helps to know in advance what they all can do, as opposed to the first time you meet a Chryssalid) Arty just pushes the balance further against the aliens. If you only have one soldier left, it seems cheap to get him back into the Skyranger and call in Artillery to finish the job. Or, if you only have a few soldiers left and you call in Arty to cover a retreat that would make it just as messy as if you left the aliens alive and shooting.

 

Personally I don't like Artillery either because it is such a simple way to deal with the problem. Maybe if you could get smoke or gas or something like that (delivered by Arty or Aircraft) to shroud the battlefield and slow down the Aliens that would allow a retreat but not kill off all the aliens either.

 

Maybe instead of making an artillery or autoresolve option so we don't have to fight those boring "kill 3 Sectoids at the crashed Scout" missions later in the game, we could just make those missions tougher. First off, the Aliens could stop using anything smaller than Large Scout after a certain point. Instead of putting the same number of personnel on their craft throughout the game, the aliens could instead increase the size of their crews over time as you become more successful, and add heavier units to their crews too. Or they could mix up the usual combinations of aliens. If Xenocide had all this, imagine how those missions would go: "Ho Hum, I can't believe they sent in Sectoids. On a Large Scout no less. I've taken out hundreds of those already! Oh well, in goes the Skyranger. My there are lots of Sectoids here. <BOOM> And heavily armed Sectoids too. <SCREECH> With a leader, I shouldn't be facing Psi-capable Aliens, that's why I left my Psychers at home. And what was that, a Cyberdisk hovering? <CRUNCH BOOM> Hey, I liked Sammy! And the doors on this UFO are too small to, oh I see. Wider doors now. Well, next turn we're going in. Now just to clear it out. <CLICKCLICKCLICK AAAAHHHH CLICKCLICK AAAAHHHH CLICK AAAAHHHH> WHAT THE **** IS A CHRYSSALID DOING HERE?!?!?!" After that, every UFO would be interesting, suspenseful, worthy of investigation. And if scouts become like this, you would actually need all 26 people on an Avenger to take out a Battleship.

[sir_schwick]

Considering the fact that 90% of US air delivered munitions were 'smart', I do not think spread would be a big problem. First imagine where 'smart munitions' technology would be by 2008. Then add in the fact that its the XCORP version, plus any later alien techs.

 

An XCORP Bomber or other aircraft could drop the munitions from an appreciable distance and they would land within a couple squares of the target zone. Alien heavy munitions could probably be 'fire and forget' with 100% accuracy. This also makes me think of a new modification for any of the XCORP landing craft:

 

XM1 'Hawk' Mortar System

 

The 'Hawk' is a series of mortar tubes affixed to the landing craft. Each tube has a good range of motion and is connected to a system mobile targetters. When a target is designated, a selected tube will fire the XM1 munition, which comes in several kinds. During flight small propulsion devices will cause the path to be low and very direct. Considering the short range this system is desinged for, most impacts will be within three seconds of target confirmation. THe targetters are small and can be attached to rifle/heavy weapon barrels or integrated into armour. The initial system has to be researched and requires AA, Alien Power, X113. It initially can be armed with HE, AA Flachette, Smoke, and EMP munitions. Fusion, Plasma, Stun, Psionic, and Toxic munitions can be researched later.

 

XM2 Blaster Rack

 

This rack, which is common on alien craft, contains a couple launcher tubes and a generous storage for blaster bombs. Remote targetting systems can feed trackign and targetting information into rack, which then fires and controls the round.

[Mysticfist]

Nah I don't think bomming the area would be a good idea.

As we are playing this in the "future" i would say to use special laser-satelites.

They would be able to target a small area on the map but doing huge damages.

But of course moving a satelite cost a lot of money and time.

And you can start with satelites who can just detect the aliens in the beginning and then after research they get upgrades with small lasers, middle lasers and so on.

So at least you have the possibility to use it everywhere because the area that is damaged would be pretty small but still effective.

 

The accurancy should also depends on their uprade but must still be pretty much.

As for today our satelites are pretty accurate.

I would say for exemple:

Satelite Lvl - Detect chance - Shoot Accurancy

1 - 75% - 0% (lvl 1 can't shoot)

2 - 85% - 75%

3 - 87% - 85%

4 - 91% - 90%

5 - 95% - 98% (last possible lvl to research - Detect can never be 100% because there is always a chance an allien has a realy good hiding place and for the accurancy it can't be 100% because there can always happens something you didn't expect like a malfunction but you see the picture )

 

Something like that

[Exo2000]

Alternately, give the X-CORPS the wonderful, wonderful Spectre Bomber/Support, which will circle a target area for a few turns, bombarding it with a side-mounted cannon and chaingun. It'll shoot at any aliens your men spot, but takes a turn to change cannon targets (ie, fires cannon at one target, next turn only fires chaingun, then the cannon again) etc. etc.

 

The chaingun should be weak and very inaccurate, whilst the cannon takes time to aim and fire, but does more damage.. like a Small Rocket, but more accurate.

[sir_schwick]

Nah I don't think bomming the area would be a good idea.

As we are playing this in the "future" i would say to use special laser-satelites.

They would be able to target a small area on the map but doing huge damages.

But of course moving a satelite cost a lot of money and time.

And you can start with satelites who can just detect the aliens in the beginning and then after research they get upgrades with small lasers, middle lasers and so on.

So at least you have the possibility to use it everywhere because the area that is damaged would be pretty small but still effective.

 

Future means 2008, not 2080. Current lasers are barely efficient enough to be considered for use on battlefields by ground forces or aircraft. Those distances are usually less than 20 km. If you shoot through at least 150 km of atmosphere you have way way more defraction of light through the air. This is the primary reasons that space based weapons platforms do not exist for anit-ground purposes.

 

Also, why shoot at something from 150 km that you can shoot at from 150 m? Satellites could certainly be used to help locate aliens to blow up. Also, the munitions being discussed probably cost at most $50,000 to use while putting a specialized satellite into orbit would cost into the tens of millions, at least. The only reason that current satellites stay around is that if the aliens destroy them it would cause considerable economic and political disruption on Earth(not useful for infiltration). They would have no problems destroying a satellite that officially does not exist.

 

I guess it could be an option, but it does not make sense to sandblast a soup cracker, so to speak.

 

Alternately, give the X-CORPS the wonderful, wonderful Spectre Bomber/Support, which will circle a target area for a few turns, bombarding it with a side-mounted cannon and chaingun. It'll shoot at any aliens your men spot, but takes a turn to change cannon targets (ie, fires cannon at one target, next turn only fires chaingun, then the cannon again) etc. etc.

 

The chaingun should be weak and very inaccurate, whilst the cannon takes time to aim and fire, but does more damage.. like a Small Rocket, but more accurate.

 

That would be a good addition along with lander equipped LZ clearing devices. Maybe weapons you could equip craft with could be anti-craft or anti-ground.

Edited May 3, 2005 by sir_schwick