RevisionOur current form of electric countermeasures against the enemy's radar and guided system is too ill-effective to have any actual usage for our combat crafts. The main improvement we done with an entire rework of our ECM is that it can be activated for any time during aerial combat without inhibiting our ships from having to move in subsonic speed in a straight line. The integration of this technology into the flight computer rather than it being a simple deviation from the technology, is that both the ECM and flight computer can work in conjunction with each other allows them to function in tandem allowing both to be activated in the same time. Future modification have also went into the radar distraction in which we can make a smaller ufo appear as a larger one by creating a false or amplified electrical signature. This will allow our ufos to masquerade as a larger craft, there has been minimal effort in even allowing a craft to condense their electrical signature to appear smaller on radar, but not in the visible light sense. However this isn't the priority of the revision, but rather to make sure the ECM and the flight computer can work in conjunction is the main thing that needs to be addressed.
Easy : 3+1+1 = 5 Average
The new ECM system does what it's supposed to do. No fancy cloacking circuits, no violent energy feedbacks, no sudden loss of flight control. It simply decieves missiles, and manipulates radar signatures. With the system online we should see a significant reduction in the enemy missile accuracy, decreasing their fighters effectiveness by as much as 50%. As a secundary feature, we can boost our ships radar signatures, making it appear far more threathening than it actually is. However, emissions strengthened in such way will be far easier to spot.
BattleMission 1
Mission Type: Recruit Collaborators.
Craft(s): 1 Small Scout (Free), 2 Medium fighter (4VP)
Unit loadout: 2 Sectoid (2xPlasma Pistols, 2xElerium Grenade) (2UP, 2EP)
2 Skin Crawlers, Infiltrated (6-2=4UP)
Destination: Australia
Insertion goes off without a hitch. Under cover of darkness, a small Scout drops of 2 groups of meticulously suited Skin Crawlers, who carefully make their way into town. After succesfully navigating such intracies of human life as crossing roads, opening doors and ordering a drink in a pub, they manage to make contact with our first possible collaborator.
Mister Tamsyn, senior level research director in one of Australia's largest energy corporations. A man smart enough to recognize what the capabilities of your crafts truly represent, and what great wealth could be gained from it. He's you way into Australia's economy, and from there, the rest of the country. Negotiations are swift and occur with little interference. There's a small moment of fright when a sectoid drops in through the hotel window, but after overcoming his initial suprise Tamsyn appears to be more fascinated than horrified. With negotiations concluded, both sides part ways, and not a moment too soon.
XCOM arrives in force just as Smal UFO is dropping in to evacuate the sectoids. With no more point in stealth, the UFO sets course straight for the town, landing in a central Plaza. High above 2 Ravens and 2 Medium fighters engage. Not wanting to be suprised this time, the Ravens immediatly fire their missiles, two volleys of 6 flying towards the fighters. ECM systems activate, and the majority of the missiles loose lock, flying of into the sky. Two still hit their target, biting into light armor and destroying some redundant systems.
Curiously, the Raven's do not fire a second salvo, closing in instead. A deadly close range exchange is the result, plasma fire tearing through the two Raven's. But the medium fighters do not escape unscatched, having suffered several armor penetrations. Were there used to be additional missiles, the Terrans had instead fitted some kind of pods that launched shells with tremendous velocity. They only got to fire a few, but each tore 2 nice holes through the ship.
On the ground, the situation is not much better. XCOM is deploying in force, 3 Skyrangers dropping of troops through the city. Worse, the Skyrangers then take up overwatch positions in the sky. The light UFO opens fire and manages to disable one, before they suddenly retaliate. Pods, fitted underneath the craft fire high speed projectiles which tear through the UFO's hull, disabling it.
With 2 Skyrangers overhead, and a full 3 human squads on the move, the Sectoids stand little chance. One by one they're picked of at range, too far away to use their grenades or the gift. Railgun slugs pierce through or blow up cover untill none remain.
The Skin crawlers are more succesfull. Disguised as humans or scenery, they twice manage to lead XCOM into a trap, tearing through the enemy at close range with their vicious tentacleclaws. Once the element of suprise is gone however, they get put down at range.
Mission Succes : Team lost Australia now lightly infiltrated
Vehicles
Small scout : One of the tiniest vessels at your disposal, the Small scout is both cheap and reliable. Powered by a single Elerium core, the vessel makes decent speed, while carrying up to 2 units to their destination. It's equipped with a plasma turret for self defense . Cost : 1 VP
Light fighter : Roughly half the size of a Small Scout, the Light fighter is a small craft that can be slaved to a nearby UFO to defend it. It's armed with 3 forward firing plasma guns, giving it a decent amount of firepower. Like the small scout, it is powered by a single Elerium core that gives it decent speed. Cost : 1 VP
Medium fighter Roughly 3 quarters the size of a small scout, the medium fighter is a small automated craft capable of independent operation. It's armed with 3 forward firing plasma guns, giving it a decent amount of firepower. Powered by an enlarged Elerium reactor, it's small size gives it greatly superior speed and maneuverability. Cost : 2 VP
Equipment
Plasma Pistols : A basic simple sidearm that has been used in many pacification operations. The plasma pistol is a dependable bit of equipment that is light but not particularly powerful.
Elerium Grenade : The elerium grenade is powerful handheld explosive. Cost : 1 EP
Meld Container : A container filled with the precious Meld, a substance that consists out of billions of cybernetic nanomachines that automatically capture, catalogue and analyse any foreign DNA they find. Greatly increases the effectiveness of recovery operations. If capture threatens, the container will perform an auto-sterilization cycle. Cost : 1 EP
ECM equipped flight computer : A modified flight computer that can mimic a larger ship or deceive missiles (sometimes), at the cost of shutting of the flight computer.
Cost : 0
Aliens
Sectoid : A formerly weak species with a limited capability for the gift. Nonetheless, their simple biology allows to easily clone these creatures and deploy them in great numbers. Integration of human DNA has brought their strength up to par with human baseline.
- Reversable Mind Merge: Merge minds with an organic, intelligent friendly or enemy, giving or drawing upon them for strength
Cost 1 UP
Scout drone : A small but fast scout drone armed with powerfull short range non-lethal weaponry and powerfull sensors. Effective at hunting down humans as well as spotting threats, but lightly armored.
Cost 1 UP or 1 EP
Skin Crawler : An infiltrator unit capable of mimicking human form (more or less). Has 8 claw equipped tentacles and is capable of using most handheld technologies.
Cost 2 UP (+1 UP if infiltrated [Infiltrated units require no transportation, but can not use equipment]) [2 UP worth free]
Mission Profiles
Harvest: A simple mission profile that involves a UFO landed in a secluded area to capture humans other lifeforms for analysis in the main base.
Recruit Collaborators : A more complex mission profile that relies on the insertion of infiltrating units to make contact and recruit potential collaborators.
Alien Resources
4+1 VP
6 UP
2 EP
1 UP
Dark side of the Moon base [Hidden, Industrious]
Africa
---> Egypt
---> South Africa
---> Nigeria
Asia
--->Australia Light infiltration
--->China
--->India
--->Japan
Europe
--->France
--->Germany
--->Russia
--->United Kingdom
North America
--->Canada
--->Mexico
--->United States
South America
--->Argentina
--->Brazil X
: Later
Info : We're detecting unusual psionic activity from the planet. The signal was very weak and could not be located, but it was definitively there.
Turn 5AABBCCDD
Author
Topic: Ethereals : XCOM Arms Race (Read 61486 times)