Endgame Senario

[Robo Dojo 58]

After you interrrogate a commander, the overmind gets very worried, and angry. He knows that many ships in his fleet have been captured and destroyed. He knows that he's losing Earth, and he knows he's next. He sends every ship in the dwindling alien fleet towards earth, in one last, desperate attempt to get rid of X-COM and have Earth submit, regardless of casualties.

 

Comments are welcome.

[Whitewashed]

bravo, bravo! let's squash the earth

[Cpl. Facehugger]

But how would the player survive that?

[Whitewashed]

...one thing that comes to mind is that is the overmind aware of the captured commander and that he's losing the war? Isn't X-coms victory based soley on the fact that they're able to hit Cydonia by surprise? If the aliens knew about the possibility they surely would do everything to stop it and X-com wouldn't stand a chance against the whole alien armada

[Robo Dojo 58]

If the aliens knew about the possibility they surely would do everything to stop it...

Yeah, that's why I suggested the alien fleet.

 

...and X-com wouldn't stand a chance against the whole alien armada

 

The UFO fleet has been crippled by the humans shooting down dozens and dozens of UFOs over the last year(s), and chopping them to bits.

 

The written CTs suggest that the entire alien Empire can't be sent to fight Earth, and it's only the Cydonia base sending UFOs. Cydonia is described as more of an outpost (In the Empire's eyes), than a war front. So, it'd probably only have a few dozen UFOs, of varying size. They can't all be battleships, right? The huge, deadly UFO activity would push you to send your Avenger over to Cydonia, ASAP.

 

Oh, and as a bonus, Cydonia's defenses would be drastically reduced (the fleet is out), making way for the final mission.

[Whitewashed]

Hmm... good point, there should be something pushing the player to reach Cydonia because if he keeps training his units for several years before it should be too late, the aliens patience can't last that long.

[j'ordos]

Of course, then nothing would prevent a player who's finished the game before (or knows what'll happen ) from NOT researching an alien commander until after a few years his troops have gotten enough training

[Robo Dojo 58]

Of course, then nothing would prevent a player who's finished the game before (or knows what'll happen  ) from NOT researching an alien commander until after a few years his troops have gotten enough training

There are other ways to send the fleet invading. For example, you can't keep X-Corps going without generating some activity points. Otherwise, your score would get too negative, and you lose. The overmind could invade after a certain amount of X-Corps activity ticks him off.

 

Also, the overmind can get upset based on:

1. Time- after XX months, he invades anyways.

 

2. Time + points- Time is worth XXX points. After a certain total score, he invades.

 

3. After the overmind gets enough resources- So many sucessful missions, then the overmind has enough resources to send a REAL fleet crashing through your door. :o

 

There are plenty of ways to do it. The basic idea is to encourage the player to end the game, but in a fun way.

[Cpl. Facehugger]

But what if the player doesn't want to end the game? I enjoyed drawing out the game until 2002.

[Robo Dojo 58]

I can't wait until someone drags the game out to 2040.

 

If the player refuses to end the game... then the overmind will end it for him!

[Cpl. Facehugger]

Well, you should have a chance (a slim chance) to defeat all of them. I mean, an interceptor with plasma cannons can kill any alien ship out there except a battleship. Without taking damage mind you.

[Robo Dojo 58]

Well, yeah, you would have a chance to take on the UFOs. It's not meant as an instant-lose senario, just a "holy-crud-I-gotta-do-something-big-and-fast" senario.

[Magstar]

What if it was more a story element than a gameplay one. You send your Avenger with your best troops to the secret launch location, knowing that all your hopes rest on them. As they blast away from earth, one soldier looks back to see the aliens destroying your firestorms, your bases being incinerated in massive fireballs, and an irresistable fleet of battleships settling down on the planet to begin the final, massive invasion. You know then, without a shadow of a doubt: This is the end. Either you kill the brain, or mankind is doomed. Aside from the troops on board the avenger, X-Corp is already gone.

[Cpl. Facehugger]

Nah. All those battleships would fall to my Super avenger fleet! Besides, I don't think the ending would be as satisifying if all your hard work was destroyed. I liked knowing that we beat the aliens completely.