29 replies to this topic

[fudgedragon]

This is the signup thread for a forum members game of xcom That I will run as and when I get enough people to form the first squad.
The game will be played on experienced with no reloads.

Please state the name of your agent, his gender (optional) and two roles to fill within xcom.
You can write some background if you wish but try to make it fit the XCOM universe.
The roles are to ensure that weapon selections are compatible with my tactics. These can be changed at any time by posting here again.
Roles also determine that way that your agent can be used and therefore his expandability.

Everyone gets armor eventually but your priority for armor is your role's armor priority x your rank.

I'll choose which of a characters 2 roles to use before a mission based on what type of mission it is.
I will say now that more troopers and scouts are sent on missions than any other role so these will see more action. Especially against small floater and sectiod craft once I get laser weapons as then I only send 6 men (or 4 men and a HWP)

Roles

Trooper (T)
Laser Rifle
2xGrenades
Smoke Grenade
Armor Priority 3
Used at medium range to take down spotted enemies. May enter UFO first if scout not available

Scout (S)
Laser Pistol
Chemical Flare
Stun Rod
Grenade
Armor Priority 4
Used at close range, has a higher fatality rate as they are usualy the first in through the ufo doors

Fire Support (FS)
AP Heavy Cannon
High Explosives
Spare reload for main weapon
Armor Priority 2
Used from beyond the troopers to eliminate hard targets

Demolitions (D)
L Rocket Launcher
High Explosive
Proximity Grenade
3xSpare reloads for main weapon
Armor Priority 2
Used from just behind the fire support to eliminate groups of hard targets or targets that are proving a particular problem, Later blows extra doors where needed

Suppression (I)
Choice of I Rocket Launcher, I Heavy Cannon or I Auto-Cannon
2xReloads for main weapon
Armor Priority 2
Frequently an unneeded role so doesn't see much action. Used to change the ememys plans by setting light to them and the terrain arround them. Used at same range as fire support.

Roles will be expanded / added as more tech is unlocked.

Tell me what you think

Edited by fudgedragon, 23 August 2009 - 11:08 AM.

[NKF]

These threads rarely see it through to completion, but what the heck you never know until you find out.

Toss me in as a Scout/Demolitions. That's the closest you can get to my idea of grenadier as you can. Unit handle is "N" (with quotation marks). I'll leave the rest up to you - though if I could have any say in weapon preferences: I'd really like a Laser pistol.

- NKF

[fudgedragon]

I do intend to see things through to Cydoneia, but I suppose that real life isn't the most predictable of beasts.

Your agent has been noted and added to the recruitment rouser along with his preference for laser weapons. The weapons in the various roles will be upgraded when the technology becomes available, along with new roles added but I'll keep him with a laser pistol unless we're fighting something tough like mutons that need the slightly heavier firepower to drop quickly.


I've been looking at the forums and I notice that they appear to be a lot less active than they used to be, is this a recent thing?

[NKF]

We get ebbs and flows. Or rather, lots of quiet moments interjected with bursts of activity. Many of the regulars that you do see browsing the forums tend to lurk these days.

- NKF

[Scrogdog]

Handle = "Scrogdog" - no quotes.

Roles = Trooper/Demolitions

Preferred weapon = none

Background = American - formerly Delta Force

Family Status = Wife and son kidnapped by aliens during "The Stoneham Incident". Both are still missing and presumed dead.

Official record = An excellent candidate that exceeded expectations during training. Seems to have an innate hatred of snakes and lizards - has asked to be assigned to all snakeman missions. Recieved unofficial reprimand during a training exersize for wasting ammo by continuing to pump rounds in to an already "dead" target because "I wanted to keep messing him up!". Has the unfortunate tendancy to cry "it's clobberin' time!" at the beginning of combat operations.

[Zombie]

Handle = Guess. No, not "guess", Zombie.

Roles = Multi-role

Preferred weapon = WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction)

Background = German/American (if you can find a soldier with a natural first name of Siegfried or Jurgen, I get dibs on this please).

Record = Loves the dark for some strange reason and often requests to be sent on these missions. Favorite prank is to set fire to rookies shoes while en route to a mission to liven things up. Since a young age this Zombie character has had an affinity for explosives and fire, so anything which makes a big boom makes him smile. Once his weapon is out of ammo (or there are no aliens left outside the ship), he has a tendency to drop it, steal a Stun Rod off of the closest comrade (alive or dead) and rush the UFO to stun aliens. Hopes to survive long enough to see Mutons: has heard they taste delicious cooked over an open flame.

- Zombie

[fudgedragon]

Scrogdog (T)(D) Noted

Nice Background, fits the universe and gives you some nice character later on (if you survive the first mission)

Zombie also noted, I'll just use you for whatever role needs filling although from your background primarily Suppression and Demolitions (everyone seems to like demolitions)

[nonam]

I am not joining until you research personal armour. "Sorry did u die"

[Admiral Harkov]

Hnadle: Hsrkov

Gender: Male.

Roles: Fire support and supression.

[fudgedragon]

Thats a fair decision I suppose nonam not everyone likes seeing their avatar dieing every 5 minutes.

Hsrkov Noted

We are now half way to the first 8 soldiers. I'm a patient person so I'll wait a while longer before starting but if worst comes to the worst I'll just have to begin with nameless rookies and use the people who come along later to replace them.

[Zombie]

Hsrkov Noted

Um, I think Admiral Harkov mistyped his character name. It's supposed to be "Harkov".

C'mon people! We only need 4 more characters, so sign up now. Otherwise fudgedragon might create a character with your name and use him/her as cannon fodder. You wouldn't want that, right?

- Zombie

[Eledhel]

Well first post for the good cause!

Handle: Eledhel
Gender: Male
Role: dont really care that much, make it dependent on the stat my guy gets. Thats logical anyway!

[Admiral Harkov]

llo. Right zombie is, mispelled I did.

'Im teh knig fo imsplelign. Tkae taht hamster Yoad.

Edited by Admiral Harkov, 08 April 2009 - 07:27 AM.

[NKF]

I imagined the misspelled version being pronounced "Hussar-kov".

Just need a few more signed up - or short of that we can use Understudies.

- NKF

[fudgedragon]

Alright rouser updated with Eledhel and Harkov corrected.

I really think I should have spotted that difference between the character name and your forum name. (especial when the misplaced character was the one next to the one that it should have been (Provided you use a QWERTY))

We need 3 people more to fill the starting skyranger. I'll wait a while longer before I start using Conscrips.

You know thinking about it, does XCOM used forced conscription. It doesn't Matter how many men you need, as long as you have the capacity they show up. Might explain all the not fit for much candidates Xcom gets given.

Edited by fudgedragon, 08 April 2009 - 11:42 PM.

[Loshult]

I'll join!

Name: Mr Maniac
Gender: Male ( )
Role: Scout (preferably with a bit low bravery)

[Mark0]

hey count me in
Name: SmaSh
Gender: Male
Role: anything

[StarFighter]

Eh, why not?

Name: Bucket-san

Role: Trooper/Fire Support

Weapon Preference: Laser rifle(when available) and tons of grenades/HE packs. if you're willing to fill the HC with HE, then that as well, but it's not necessary :)

Gender's irrelevant, and I'll have no armor, he/she's a xenophode and won't have no alien equipment... except grenades, things that go boom are a-ok. ...ok maybe you can outfit an armor if he/she raises the ranks and would cause a big morale hit on death, but otherwise I'd rather not :)

[Jenny]

Sure, why not!

Name: Jenny

And I'd like the blonde girl if possible!

I'll leave gear and role up to you, just try to not get me killed too quickly

[fudgedragon]

Right I've noted you all down and will be ready to start shortly. However a number of you will have to either wait until someone dies or until I expand as I now have over the number I need. I'm sorry for the dealy and my inactivity but I had a number of events that prevented be being on the pc much so I havn't played much xcom. In fact im a bit out of shape so I need to practice a bit before we can begin. I'm currently getting my donkey handed to be on beginner. It's mostly night missions that get me but I was better than this.

[NKF]

When I've had a long hiatus, I often get back into shape by loading up an old challenge of mine called the 'solo floater base assault'. It's a superhuman save game where there's a floater base nearby (and a battleship if I want a change in venue).

What I do is load up a transport with one soldier of my choosing and some weapons - generally some combination of a pistols and a selection of grenades - or the hardest (and also most fun) is one pistol and 15 or more pistol clips. A single laser pistol is perhaps the easiest setup.

Then I launch this mad one-man attack against the base (or battleship) and play it through in a single sitting. No matter what the outcome, I reload the game and do it all over again. And again. I do lose a lot, but it makes the few wins I have all that more meaningful.

With just one soldier, it probably does border on the insane, but it's amazingly effective at whipping me back into shape - which is why I often recommend to it others. Go with what you are most comfortable with though - that's just one in many ways you can relearn.

- NKF

[fudgedragon]

I've been playing terror from the deep, I find its good practice to get back into shape for XCOM. If you can service the first 3 months on terror, the first 3 months on UFO are a walk in the alien ridden park.

I've gone ahead and started the save, I've done my basic start up, hiring 20 scientists, 2 extra soldiers, making the base more defensible and buying our guns. Our first base is high in the Swiss Alps (although Switzerland is not a country in XCOM) The brass has unimaginatively called it XCOM Alps. But I'm taking suggestions from the enlisted agents for nickname suggestions.

All feel free to suggest names, If you can come to an unanimous decision then that will be it, if you can't... I'll pick the name suggested by the person who does the best in our first mission.

[Akritedes]

Throw me in.

Name/Handle: Akritedes, Ak, "THAT CRAZY F***ER!"
Nationality: Nominally Israeli, although the name is quite clearly Greco/Romanic.
Preferred Role: Door Kicker, Scout/Demolitions.
Preferred Armor: Power Suit.
Preferred Weapons: HE Autocannon in Power Suit, Laser Pistol and piles of Hi-X otherwise. Disturbingly fond of massive explosions in any form, though.
Preferred Tactics: High Explosive Room Clearing. Recon By High Explosive. Prox Grenade Hot Potato.

No biography, although the record will show service in the Israeli Defense Force. Personality wise, he is the next best thing to literally being incapable of taking things seriously. Colossal smartass.

--

Has anyone named the tank yet? If they haven't...

If it's a Tank/Cannon: Fodder, Shield, Bunker.

If it's a Tank/Rocket: The Hammer.

Edited by Akritedes, 23 August 2009 - 03:46 PM.

[fudgedragon]

Right OK welcome aboard Akritedes. I'm not to fond of HE in autocannons and heavy cannons. I'm not to fond of autocannons on the whole really. I consider explosions a bit, indiscriminate, when I want to blow something up I prefer the precision of a grenade. And when I really need to blow something up, why would I use a smaller bomb. I will consider giving you a high-ex when you're running scout duty though. Scouts tend not to last long when their main weapon has a ten foot blast radius.

I like shield for the tank. If no one else has any suggestions I'll go with that.

It's a tank cannon at the moment. I find tank rockets to be a bit situational. I occasionaly use a hovertank launcher later into the game, but only when I have a transport that can hold more than one tank and still take a ten man squad, as launcher tanks (either blaster or rocket) are more like long range artillery than close armour support.

[mooses_an]

Name: Mooses
Role: Psychotic Psychic
Weapons: Anything from fists to anything...
Nationality: Unknown
Background: A man from the past. Was abducted by the aliens thousands of years ago. Memory loss with only small fragments about the experiments done by the aliens. 1947 he managed to steal an alien craft (or the aliens let him do so), crashlanded with it back to Roswell, New Mexico, Earth. He was unlucky and was taken to Area 51 for more experiments, this time by humans. The alien experiments had made his aging stop. The human military started shaping him into a secret agent/assassin. After several missions, he failed and died. The body was recovered, but instead of rotting, the corpse became back to life. More experiments, this time very painful ones. The military killed him several times, yet he always regenerated and came back to life. They also found out he could read minds, anticipate moves in combat, but he was unable to affect other's minds. Probably the aliens had left some block into his mind, didn't want him to take control. Fast forward to the future... 1999 alien activity raised, X-Com is formed, Mooses learns about this unit and requests transfer into this unit to find out more information about his past.

[fudgedragon]

OK noted.

That is one extensive background. I'm a little confused about how a man from the middle ages or earlier was able to fly a UFO, considering how little about the navigation systems we currently know. Unfortunately my character will see this as the possibility of you being an alien sleeper agent, so unfortunately you're gonna be bunking with our resident xenophobe Bucket-san until further notice. Expect headaches from a through interrogation... every night before bed. At least until you prove yourself.

If he remembers anything that might help pin down time period or culture let me know.

Edited by fudgedragon, 24 August 2009 - 08:20 AM.

[mooses_an]

That's why he crashed the craft... maybe it was just on autopilot... Or maybe the aliens had taught him to fly, then after noticing he had escaped with one of their craft, they sent some signal to the craft and all systems went down. Maybe the time of his escape was one flying lesson, there are reports of alien corpses in the Roswell crash. He might have been some kind of pet project for the aliens, some kind of prototype for later alien races. Sometimes he thinks that this recent activity is about the aliens gathering massive amounts of humans to create some massive unbeatable army. Sometimes he thinks he's composed of multiple different humans, he remembers seeing detached body parts in tubes with some preserving jelly.

[fudgedragon]

Yes.. Yes.....


Definitely an alien sleeper agent. I'll be watching you.

[mooses_an]

Yes, he's known to like to dream&sleep a lot

[Akritedes]

Right OK welcome aboard Akritedes. I'm not to fond of HE in autocannons and heavy cannons. I'm not to fond of autocannons on the whole really. I consider explosions a bit, indiscriminate, when I want to blow something up I prefer the precision of a grenade. And when I really need to blow something up, why would I use a smaller bomb. I will consider giving you a high-ex when you're running scout duty though. Scouts tend not to last long when their main weapon has a ten foot blast radius.

Different strategies, I think. I play very aggressively, and early-game I abuse HE ACs. I make less money, sure, but I lose fewer troops (or so I believe). Especially on autoshot, they're great even with low accuracy at medium range, and just as bad as rockets when the target is next to terrain that can catch a stray shot. And in power suits...you can fire away at point blank and just LAUGH at the possibility of actually hurting yourself. Did a Floater base assault with nothing but rockets, AC-HE/IC, and power suits once...

Plus, I like setting things on fire.

...what? Don't look at me like that, it's perfectly normal to entertain fantasies of burning down public edifices with a massive incendiary grenade firing chaingun!

I like shield for the tank. If no one else has any suggestions I'll go with that.

It's a tank cannon at the moment. I find tank rockets to be a bit situational. I occasionaly use a hovertank launcher later into the game, but only when I have a transport that can hold more than one tank and still take a ten man squad, as launcher tanks (either blaster or rocket) are more like long range artillery than close armour support.

Back to the different tactics thing again, I think. When I have a non explosive chucking tank, they get used as a heavily armored scout and mobile bunker. To trigger alien reaction fire into it's front armour and find them so I can snipe them with a HC-HE toting High-Explosive Sniper man.

Rocket Tanks get used to Recon by Fire. As in "Oh look, there's a building!" *KER-BOOM* "Anyone alive in there? Hmm, I'd better hit it again to be sure..." *KER-BLOOIE!*

Edited by Akritedes, 24 August 2009 - 07:52 PM.