X-com Diaries Project

[boboriley]

Hello all, let me start by saying that though this is my 1st real post I have been lurking for some time.

 

Anyhow,

One of the things I love about X-com is the way each trooper develops their own personality over time, and you grow attached to them, feel sad when they die, vow revenge upon that ugly fraggin' sectoid son of a #*$% who got lucky when he hit poor johnny with a blaster bomb...

My project is this: Pick one of the original 8 soldiers and follow him through the entire game from start to finish, record every little detail that happens, then write it up in novel form. I was going to write it from the perspective of a diary and try to post a new page every few days. While this is a personal project, I would like some community input before things get into full swing.

 

1st off, I was going to use XcomUtil with improved weapons, improved tanks, and the sorting/rearming feature (the improved weapons are so I can use demo packs to breech UFO hulls.) I am undecided about wether or not to use the random UFO floorplans: While I like playing with them, I think being able to picture the floorplan will be easier on the reader and will also avoid the 'closet' effect the random UFO tends to create.

 

2nd, I was going to play at hard difficulty- I don't want beating the game to distract from writing the story!

 

3rd, the Rules of the Project:

1) There shall be no reloads: unless the protaganist is killed (no protaganist- no story!) Saves shall take place BEFORE combat, so that it is random each time.

 

2) There shall be no editing of stats, except in the case of the protaganist, who's Psi skill shall be at least 85 (too high? too low? he needs to be able to participate in the assault on cydonia.)

 

3) I'm not sure wether to disregard the Xcom promotion system or not- Normally I would consider this cheating, but the built in promotion system is lackluster anyway...

 

 

Okay, now what I need you guys' help on.

 

1) Callsigns. In my games, each soldier is identified by a unique callsign. I have trouble thinking of them sometimes, so any ideas you have would be helpfull. Please keep in mind I want to put these in a serious-themed story, so 'l33tFr4gg4' and the like aren't too useful .

 

2) Random UFOs: Yes or no?

 

3) If I posted pages here, would you read it?

 

4) screenshots, yes or no?

 

5) I think the protaganist's callsign should be Frosty. Just a thought.

 

6) any other feedback you have.

 

In a little bit I'll post a sample diary entry so you can get a handle on my writing style.

 

 

Thanks again!

[Patrick1994]

Nick Jones -Good Man

 

Recuirteed: October 1st

Died: October 7th

 

Poor Man

Cydona Was Buriaral Ground

 

Team moved in

no enemys in sight

went into building

nick jones last man in

Alien grenade found on floor

1/2 blown up

nick jones and some others left

moved upward

man

this sucks

mind taken over

goes outside my 2 laser tanks blast him

then i lost the mission

 

id been with him for 6 days and hed made it alot and alot of close calls (BLASTER BOMBS,ALIEN GRENADES,LARGE EXPLOSIONS)

then it happened HE DIED!!!!!

 

THE END!!!!!!!