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Let's Play: X-COM Interceptor: Flying Blind!
USEC_OFFICER:
Hello Bay12! I have recently purchused the X-COM bundle from Steam, and what better way to celebrate than with a Let's Play of X-COM Interceptor!
Why do an Interceptor Let's Play?
Mostly through elimination. The original X-COM has been done to death as a let's play, I don't have the balls to play Terror from the Deep, Apocalypse currently looks like pixel vomit, and I wouldn't touch Enforcer with a ten-foot stick (which means that I'm saving it for later).
Okay... So what is X-COM Interceptor?
X-COM Interceptor is a X-COM spin-off flight simulator type game. You have the traditional X-COM research/base-building/protection game, but you also have first-person flight combat action. I'll be mostly focusing on the building parts of the game, since I'm a terrible pilot.
How bad of a pilot are we talking about?
Really bad. I rarely check my instruments, I have no spatial awareness, and I waste ammo like crazy. Now, I know that sounds hilarious, so maybe I'll post a dogfighting video or two. However since this is primarily going to be a screenshot LP, it sucks terribly. For example, most dogfights go like this:
1. Beginning. The nice, slow movements towards the enemy.
2. OMGWTFAGUHUHHUAHAHADFASDFAFAHLSAJFD!!!!J!!!!!!!1111!1!!
3. Huh, It's over.
Since I'm obviously too busy trying not to die in 2, I'm not taking many screenshots and thus I can't narrate the battle back to you (besides OMGWTFAGUHUHHUAHAHADFASDFAFAHLSAJFD!!!!J!!!!!!!1111!1!! of course). Mind you we'll be doing tons of dogfights anyways, so that's probably a good thing.
When does X-COM Interceptor take place?
Right after Terror from the Deep, but before Apocalyse on the X-COM timeline. However Interceptor was made after Apocalypse, if you couldn't tell from the gorgous 3D polygons.
What difficulty will you be playing at?
Extensive minutes hours of simulated battles shows that I'll probably die on anything harder than Experienced. As in more than half of the time. Thus we'll be playing on Veteran, just to please you sadisitic bastards. And before you start clamouring for Superhuman, let me just say that the LP would be finished within two updates. That's how bad of a pilot I am.
Will this Let's Play be blind?
Yep. Besides the combat simulations and a (really, really) short test campaign to make sure that everything works fine, this entire Let's Play will be blind.
Now are there any more questions, or can we move on?
Well, I am just a figment of your mind, so no.
Oh. Right.
Wait. What about the Ufopedia?
Ah. Well, for convience I'll be posting the Ufopedia in it's full glory here on the opening post, all 640 by 480 pixels. Yeah, it's an old game, in case you couldn't tell.
UFOPEDIASpoiler: X-COM Ships and Installations (click to show/hide)
Cost: $400,000
Maximum Speed: Conversion Drive: 111 m/s
Hull Strength: Standard Armour: 350
Missile Hard Points: 2
Beam Hard Points: 2
Special Equipment Hard Points: 2
Maximum Speed: Conversion Drive: 4 m/s
Hull Strength: Standard Armour: 850
Missile Hard Points: 0
Beam Hard Points: 1
Special Equipment Hard Points: 1
Has no listed stats.
Fun Fact: A Patton-class ship was stated to appear in the cancelled X-COM Alliance.
Goddamn it. This game has pirates?!?!?
Spoiler: Weapons (click to show/hide)
Cost: $182,000
Size: 7 CSU(s)
Time to Produce: NAN
Rate of Fire: 2
Range: 4km
Direct Damage: 30
Cost: $190,000
Size: 7 CSU(s)
Time to Produce: 750 Man Hours
Rate of Fire: 2
Range: 5km
Direct Damage: 32 (Must be a typo. The plasma pulse cannon is much stronger than the laser cannon.)
Cost: $9,000
Size: 1 CSU(s)
Time to Produce: NAN
Range: 10,000km
Speed: 1000 km/s
Duration: 10s
Direct Damage: 300
Proximity Damage: 200
Cost: $16,000
Size: 3 CSU(s)
Time to Produce: NAN
Ammunition Capacity: 5
Rate of Fire: 4
Spoiler: Technologies (click to show/hide)
(cont.)
The Kabron are a threat to both the economy and safety of human space, and must be dealt with as soon as the opportunity arises.
(cont.) wrecking ecological havoc to this day.
(cont.) beyond the event horizon.
(I freaking hate these things. The asteroids seem basically undodgeable, so you're screwed no matter what.)
Spoiler: Equipment (click to show/hide)
Cost: $25,000
Size: 2 CSU(s)
Time to Produce: NAN
Cost: $75,000
Size: 2 CSU(s)
Time to Produce: NAN
Cost: $90,000
Size: 2 CSU(s)
Time to Produce: 1000 Man Hours
Cost: $80,000
Size: 15 CSU(s)
Time to Produce: NAN
Cost: $65,000
Size: 2 CSU(s)
Time to Produce: NAN
and mass to overcome the inertia of the target. Because tractor beams consume a great deal of energy, the ship cannot fire beam weapons while the tractor beam is engaged.
Cost: $95,000
Size: 3 CSU(s)
Time to Produce: 800 Man Hours
Spoiler: X-COM Base Modules (click to show/hide)
Cost: $1,500,000
Structural Integrity: 3,000
Time to Produce: Special
Cost: $200,000
Size: Large
Structural Integrity: 400
Time to Produce: 20 Days
Cost: $400,000
Size: Medium
Structural Integrity: 200
Time to Produce: 16 Days
Cost: $150,000
Size: Medium
Structural Integrity: 300
Time to Produce: 10 Days
Cost: $100,000
Size: Medium
Structural Integrity: 75
Time to Produce: 12 Days
Cost: $600,000
Size: Medium
Structural Integrity: 300
Time to Produce: 22 Days
Cost: $900,000
Size: Medium
Structural Integrity: 400
Time to Produce: 18 Days
Cost: $1,200,000
Size: Medium
Structural Integrity: 450
Time to Produce: 22 Days
Cost: $500,000
Size: Medium
Structural Integrity: 400
Time to Produce: 12 Days
Cost: $750,000
Size: Medium
Structural Integrity: 250
Time to Produce: 20 Days
Cost: Special
Size: Small
Structural Integrity: 100
Time to Produce: 15 Days
Cost: Special
Size: Small
Structural Integrity: 100
Time to Produce: 10 Days
Cost: $500,000
Size: Medium
Structural Integrity: 200
Time to Produce: 12 Days
Cost: $650,000
Size: Medium
Structural Integrity: 300
Time to Produce: 20 Days
Cost: $500,000
Size: Medium
Structural Integrity: 150
Time to Produce: 15 Days
Spoiler: Aliens and Alien Operations (click to show/hide)
destroying or capturing one of these convoys, GSC scientists might be able to shed some light on this mysterious activity.
Spoiler: Alien Ships and Installations (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alien Base Components (click to show/hide)
Oh come on. Nothing?
Spoiler: Probes and Mines (click to show/hide)
Cost: $65,000
Size: 10 CSU(s)
Update List:
Update 0: Introductions
Update 1: Par for the Course
Update 2: The Routine
Update 3: For Fun and Profit
Update 4: Eh
Bases:
Fort Skywatch
Arnold Rimmer
Sonlirain
Forlorn Hope
Destroyed Bases:
None (Thank god)
Pilots:
Nirur "MEATSHIELD" Torir (Served - 02-01-2067 - ?. Claimed by Nirur Torir.)
Ashana "GOFORTHEEYES" Dularac (Served - 02-01-2067 - ?. Claimed by Aptus.)
Jay "EXPENDABLE" Cin (Served - 18-01-2067 - ?. Claimed by JacenHanLovesLegos.)
Karl "MONKEY" Head (Served - 18-01-2067 - ?. Claimed by Monkeyhead.)
Bonnie "FATBOY" Race (Served - 01-01-2067 - ?. Unclaimed!)
Jack "EUCHRE" Smith (Served - 04-03-2067 - ?. Claimed by EuchreJack.)
Andrew "TERROR" McGreenyton (Served - 04-03-2067 - ?. Claimed by Geen.)
Mal "KICKASS" DeJulius (Served - 04-03-2067 - ?. Claimed by Maldevious.)
Fikes "BOOYAH" Ambroksi (Served - 04-03-2067 - ?. Claimed by Fikes.)
Dead Pilots:
Jimmy "IDONTWANNADIE" Smith (Served - 01-01-2067 to 21-01-2067. Experienced horrible burning death. Claimed by USEC_OFFICER.)
Jay "FROSTY" Harving ((Served - 01-01-2067 - 25-01-2067. Went missing while defending Fort Skywatch. Presumed dead. Claimed by frostshotgg.)
Ships:
Burning Sock II - "Lightning II" Interceptor with plasma pulse cannons, tractor beam and electroplasmic shields. Piloted by Jay "EXPENDABLE" Cin.
Azure Lightning - "Lightning II" Interceptor with plasma pulse cannons, tractor beam and electroplasmic shields. Piloted by Karl "MONKEY" Head.
Red Dwarf - "Lightning II" Interceptor with plasma pulse cannons and electroplasmic shields. Piloted by Ashana "GOFORTHEEYES" Dularac.
Reaver One - "Lightning II" Interceptor with plasma pulse cannons and electroplasmic shields. Piloted by Mal "KICKASS" DeJulius.
Loki - "Lightning II" Interceptor with plasma pulse cannons and electroplasmic shields. Piloted by Jack "EUCHRE" Smith.
STE Porkins - "Lightning II" Interceptor with plasma pulse cannons and electroplasmic shields. Piloted by Fikes "BOOYAH" Ambroksi.
Destroyed Ships:
Burning Sock - Factory Loaded 'Lightning II" Interceptor. Piloted by Jimmy "IDONTWANNADIE" Smith to a fiery grave on 21-01-2067.
Boatmurdered - Factory Loaded 'Lightning II" Interceptor. Piloted by Jay "FROSTY" Harving in the defence of Fort Skyworth. Missing, presumed destroyed on 25-01-2067.
Skyranger - "Lightning II" Interceptor with plasma pulse cannons. Piloted by Nirur "MEATSHIELD" Torir in the defence of Fort Skyworth. Shot down on 27-03-2067. Nirur "MEATSHIELD" Torir survived.
Now, without further ado, let's get this LP started!
USEC_OFFICER:
Update 0: Introductions
Journal of Jacob Reid
Saturday, Janurary 1st, 2067:
Goddamn it. That's the last time I'm getting drunk.
...
Well, maybe a little more hair of the dog won't hurt...
Wait a second. Plush Interior? Future-Retro Design? The Letter X? By gods, I'm an X-COM Commander! Damn it, I knew that that hooker was being too friendly!
Saturday, Janurary 1st, 2067: (cont.)
Goddamn it! Those bastards shanghai'd me off to some goddamned frontier to lead a bunch of wet-nosed assholes! I did my four years during the Second Alien War, and this is how they repay me? They'll hear this from my lawyer! As soon as I find one, that is.
Saturday, Janurary 1st, 2067: (cont.)
Goddamn lawyers! I hate them! They're all like, "Oh, you signed all the paperwork already," and "Oh, it was either this for life in prison, remember?" Bullshit! You'd think that I remember that I accidently drove over twelve people in a drunken joyride on a Marsec Stormdog, killing three people, giving fatal injuries to two and leaving four in a comma! It's blackmail I say! Blackmail!
...
You know, this room is kinda swanky.
...
Eh, I might as well go over the paperwork. I bet that if I'd left we'd all be floating inside an alien nutrient vat within a week.
Saturday, Janurary 1st, 2067: (cont.)
Make that two days. This place is more terrible than a Fed. Korean cruiseliner! My sub-commander is a slimeball calling himself Herbert Mullar. Apparently his great-grandfather bled to death on Cydonia, or something like that. And his father fought in the Second Alien War, but I'm calling bullshit. I would remember if I fought along a bastard with the same stupid-ass face. Goddamn it, where's my whiskey?
Saturday, Janurary 1st, 2067: (cont.)
Apparently it was right in front of me or something. Now where was I? Ah right, his sorry excuse for a dump.
Damn it, nobody cares! Get this stupid thing out of my face.
That's better. Now then I'm in the imaginitively named X-COM BASE 1. Seeing as I'm the bloody commander, the first thing I'm going to do is change that stupid name. To something like... uh... Echo-1. Or something. It'll come to me in time. We've also got three companies plying their trade on the frontier.
Hawkins Synthetics is, uh, downish from the base.
Cyberdig is upish.
And Tad-Tech ltd is to the left somewhat. And good old Earth is, uh... well it's somewhere. Probably north. East. North-east. Anyways my freaking job is to make sure that the goddamn aliens don't bust up these corperations for some reason or another. Probably money. Those bastards better be paying up. Oi, Herbet! Yeah, you, you stinking pile of puke! Figure out if those bloody companies are paying us for protection.
...
What? Why the hell would it be for free! The bloody first rule of X-COM is to never do anything for free! Now move your godforsaken ass and get on it!
...
Bloody slackers.
Now, uh the base is apparently near the Aquila system or something. I don't know. What I do know is that it's as basic as shit. Give me a second, I've got a list here... Ah, here we go.
It's got:
1 hangar capable of storing three interceptors.
1 living quarters for five pilots. They must be getting freaking suites or something.
1 cargo unit with 1000 space or some shit like that. Most of which is empty, might I add.
1 probe launch module. I'm surprised that they didn't add another one, since we apparently only need one to begin with.
1 standard downlink, which'll allow us to commuicate with the GSC. I'll get to those idiots later.
1 deflector shield generator. Apparently we can only house one of these things per base. Goddamn bureaucrats.
1 standard sensor module. It'll allow us to detect alien spacecraft. We can fit only one sensor per base, which is fine because these things have a 100% detection rate or something.
1 communications module so that I can yell at the pilots while they're out patrolling. Oh, and to give them orders too.
1 missile defences using, uh, X-Winder missiles. X-Winder? Really? Can't we come up with better goddamn names?
Oh, and we got a beam defence thingy armed with lasers, if anybody really cares.
Looking over the plans, we're missing two important modules. A training and a hospital module. Now in my day the only training we had was the live kind, and the only doctors we had was a warm glass of milk mixed with asprin. Still, the less time these idiots spend injured is more time they can get shot at. Plus I'd be damned if any shot-nosed pilots are going to lollygag around the base just because they don't have a craft to fly! I'm just going to ear-mark those modules... Damn. It's going to cost us a quarter of our budget just to build these.
...
Damn it Mullar, can you work any slower! Get a move on you bastard!
...
Kids these days. They ain't got no respect. Well, that covers the base. Eh, let's take a look at what else we can waste our money on.
...
Goddamn it! Another interceptor is going to cost us another quarter of the budget! And it's factory loaded too! That's just going to cost us more money to replace everything! Gah, just give me a minute to see how much it's going to really cost.
...
Is there another page or... no.
...
Are you telling me that we have no better weapons and... armour and shit than the defaults? Laser cannons and X-Winders? Maybe we can manufa-
Goddamn it!
...
I'm moving on. Now where I can hire more pilots...
Spoiler: Pilots Available For Hire (click to show/hide)
Oh, good. They've actually screened the bastards beforehand...
...
Sod this, I have no freaking clue what everything means. I don't even think that we have more room for pilots.
Spoiler: Pilots at Base (click to show/hide)
Yeah, we don't.
(Sorry to interupt, but since the dogfighting portions are all first-person I'm going to go ahead and claim a pilot for myself. I could let all of the pilots be claimed and just rotate through all of them, but I'd probably just get you shot down or something. It's safer this way, trust me.)
(If you were wondering, yes, you can change the name of the pilots. And the both the base and the three fighters too.)
(There we go, that's better. Now where were we?)
Bloody factory interceptors. I should probably talk rapturously about the wonders of laser cannons and X-Winders, but I just can't seem to muster the bloody enthusiasm. Now excuse me while I take another swing of whiskey.
Spoiler: Technologies Available to Research (click to show/hide)
Oh good, research. Now Mullar was just explaining to me about how this all worked. You see, somewhere floating around there is the GS... uh C. Galatic Science Corp. The standard downlink communicates with them and bounces information back and forth. The best part is that we're only paying to maintain the downlinks. The deal is that the GSC gets first dibs whenever the tech becomes declassified. Knowing how much we learned in the first two alien wars, the GSC stands to earn many a pretty penny. Of course we're getting the better half of the bargin here, since we don't have to deal with a bunch of stuffy-shirt scienists. Heh. Now looking at the plans of the station we can add another... two downlinks which'll cost us... another quarter of our budget.
...
I need another drink.
Oh, and before I get drunk off my ass, let me tell you about probes. You can launch them, and they detect stuff, and... uh, that's it. Now I'm going to go get drunk off my ass.
Private Journal of Herbert Mullar
Saturday, Janurary 1st, 2067:
Our commander came in today. I was expecting someone... a little different. Not this foul-mouthed, drunk, beat-up old man. He looks nothing like the photos from the Second Alien War. He is merely forty-five, yet his hair is completely grey, his eyes are watery and weak, and his gut is massive. I wonder why X-COM would consent to send such a... dried-up old fart here, but my associates back in Sol assure me that Reid is as sharp-witted as ever, when is isn't drunk that is. I will have to ask around about Reid's personal whiskey supply.
(This is the current situation. We've got 4.5 million dollars in the bank, which is little more than chump change apparently. A quarter of it will be set aside to build three more downlinks. That will triple our current download speed, which means that we can research stuff three times as fast. What I'm going to do with the rest of the money is up to you, I guess. Up to five interceptors can be launched on a single mission, so obviously we'll have to build another hanger and living quarters. We'll also need money to buy probes and hire pilots, along with a buffer incase one of the interceptors gets shot down. I'm thinking of firing one of our current pilots and hiring Anya Hess, who has the best firing/flying accuracy possible, and pretty bitching psionics too. Other than that I have no clue, so any suggestions will be welcome.
Research-wise we'll need to research tractor beam at some point, but that'll take months with a single downlink. I was thinking about researching advanced lasers first for some better weaponry before moving onto... something else. I don't know.
Anyways if you want to claim a pilot remember that you can submit a first name, last name or callsign. If you're wondering, a callsign is what your pilot is refered to during dogfights. You'll see what I mean next update. Our base and three fighter craft also need names too. I'll take the most popular name for the base, and the three most popular names for the fighter craft.
For the next update I'll need a research goal (or two) and a base name. Pilot/craft names, a list of things to buy and a general strategy would be good too, but I can't think of a better strategy than 'shoot down all aliens'.
If you have any questions ask, or take a look at the ufopedia. It probably knows more than me.)
frostshotgg:
I'll take Danny Yin. Rename him Jay "Frosty" Harvings.
Myroc:
Fort Skywatch.
If that blasted shooter remake is going to be good for something, it might as well be a decent base name.
MonkeyHead:
Observing for inevitable hilarity, and to take the name of one of your wingmen/squadmates who will die in a bundle of burning gases in the void no doubt.
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