X-com eu lp

[Sathra]

Chapter 6: Same old, same old

Waffles: Okay, recordings ready to start.
Sathra: Very well. *Click*
Waffles: Must you?
Sathra: I must.

---------------Mission Overview----------------
Contact-8

Waffles: We've classed this UFO as a Large Scout. They seem to be some kind of standard fleet unit, or maybe a heavy fighter. Either way, the aliens use alot of them.


Animal: Go on rook, off you go.
Marty: But, you're wearing armour. Shouldn't you go?
Animal: I'm the captain, go!

Lucy: Tank's spotted Pinkies.

Waffles: This is also when we first noticed the aliens using squad formations, rather than wandering sentries and strongpoints.


Animal: That pinkie took alot of killing.
Kirmu: No kidding.
5 laser rifle shots and an AC-HE bolt before it died.

Jean-Luc II: They're spreading out.
Animal: Don't let them! Keep up the fire!

Hunterhavoc: Incoming!

Assoonasitis: You okay Havoc?
Hunterhavoc: Yeah, didn't do anything. What was that?

Lucy: They're moving in more troops!

Dix II: Whoah, faar to close tankie!

Dropped a smoke to keep the tank from getting shot. Alien moved into the smoke to see where we went, and the tank shot it with reaction fire. Always terrifying with a rocket tank.

Neil: Havoc noo!

Hunterhavoc: I'm fine, didn't even scratch the armour.


Contact-9

Waffles: Smallest contact we'd seen. Though it was a missile, but it moved wrong, so we sent up an interceptor.



Pilot: Er, command. Target destroyed. Like, completely.
Still no idea what it was doing.

Contact-10

Waffles: Pilot chased this one from Afghanistan before he could shoot it down.

Then the whole base shook.


The High Commander locked the pilot in the containment room for the rest of the day for that. We could hear him screaming over the music and alien howling.


Hunterhavoc: These heavy lasers don't mess around! Who's for roast pinkie!

Marren: They really don't want us getting in there.
Waffles: We're calling this a Medium Scout. The aliens seem to use this for mostly research missions.

Sathra: We lost someone?
Waffles: Oh, yes. Squaddie Neil was killed in an ambush. Squaddie Marren killed his attacker, but his body was caught in the explosion. Empty casket funeral.

Contact-11

Kirmu: We're going where?!

Marty: I think setting off explosives in ice is a bad idea.
Animal: Hey, orders is orders. Bombs away!

Jean-Luc II: We're surrounded!

Waffles: Again, new tactics shown by the aliens. It didn't help them though.

Animal: Hey, whaddya know. It worked! Contact!

Animal: Hmm sounds like I got 2.

Animal managed to kill another sectoid by accident. Well done!


Michael: Looks clear here sir!

Dix II: No, now its clear.

Waffles: We started construction the 'The Coil' in Antarctica after this mission. We'd filled a storeroom with Elerium by this point, and The Coil will be our storage/manufacturing centre in the future
Sathra: Why are you telling me this? I told you to do that.
Waffles: For the log sir.
Sathra: Ah. Carry on.
Waffles: We finished research in the UFO engines at this point.

Waffles: Learning that they produced power and anti-gravity gave the researchers an idea.

Sathra: Ah yes. I ordered research to start immediately. Anything with 'Power' in its name must be good!

Contact-12

Kirmu: Oh, come on! The Arctic again!


Animal: Didn't work for you guys last time.


Marren: Boom! Hahaha!
Dix II: Ugh, you got bugeye in my hair!

------------------------
*Click*
Sathra: Ah yes, the troops are getting good at this.
Waffles: Indeed sir, even the rook-
*loud rumble*
Sathra: If that pilot shot down a UFO on us again-!
Waffles: No sir, he's still in therapy. We're under attack.

Shit.
----------------Wrap-Up---------------
Oooh, cliffhanger!

Yeah, these missions weren't that interesting. Bunch of sectoid and floater scouts, and only took a single casualty the whole time. Neil died in some farmhouse to a shot through the window. Marren eventually killed his killer, but blew his body up at the same time.
Oh well.
Captured some more aliens too.

Dunno about you, but I think the game might be hinting that we should research Hyperwave soon. Personally, I'd go for Plasma Beams, since we'll be getting larger UFO's soon.

[Sathra]

Heh, it's good to be the captain. smile You could either go for an empty casket funeral or one with many small caskets stacked together. tongue
Yeah, something stronger for shooting down UFOs should probably be a priority at this time.

Yep, my vote is for plasma beams, then Hyperwave Decoder.

No point in being able to detect them if you can't shoot them down anyway lol

Chapter 7: I blame the Pilot.

Sathra: We've got contingencies for this. Aircraft, retract to storage bunkers! Non-combat personnel, to raid bunkers! Troops! Gear up! We're under attack!

Sathra: Waffles, with me. To the operation centre.
Waffles: Yes sir.
Sathra: Oh, and start the psy-ops protocol.
Waffles: ....yes sir. *Click*
-----------------Mission Start--------------
Animal: *listens* Oh good. I was hoping for new, strange, yet calming nightmares.
Sathra: Captain, are the NC personnel secure?
Animal: Yes sir.
Sathra: Fight well.

Animal: Coffin Stuffers! Keep 'em out or its weasels for the lot of ya!
Everyone: Sir yes sir!


Animal: Rookies, Kirmu. With me, we'll be moving up behind Lucy's mob.

Marty: Pinkies sir!


Jean-Luc II: Got him!
Ah, and this is when the classic Superhuman Base Defense glitch showed up. The floater JL killed disappeared completely when it died. It wasn't armed either. Too many aliens, not enough item slots . Its about 80 for each side, with a few reserved for other stuff. The first 8 or so aliens disappeared (dead 4x units count as 4 items I think.)


Animal: You up for this Aki?
Akinori: ___. Yes sir.
Animal: What was that noise?
Akinori: Doc _ad to replace my larynx. Mainly because _e replaced my lungs too. Vocal cords don't work with a filter for lungs it seems. Aliens don't si__ either apparently.
Animal: Er...right. Move up then. >.>

4 turns of moving and no aliens later.

Tatyana: There's nothi-Wait, Contact!

I didn't get around to killing these for a couple turns. They couldn't do anything either, and disappeared when they died. Another one appeared in the lift the turn after I killed one too. Yeah, Superhuman base defense is fun.

Marty: They're charging!


Marren: They're coming through the hangars! Open fire!

Gotta love exploiting the doors. Alien grenade went off as well, did nothing.
Lucy: Ready weapons! John, pop the doors! FIRE!

Jean-Luc II: No prisoners!

Kirmu: RAARGH!

Assoonasitis: They're going crazy!

The aliens started killing eachother with 'zerker fire around now. Hilarious
John: Clear!

Animal: They're breaking! Move up! Push them BACK!

Sarah: More aliens!

Animal: No mercy!

I think that was the Commander. Took alot of killing. Capturing wasn't possible, since the only things i had to use were AC, HC, laser weapons and lots of grenades (that I forgot to use). No medikits either.

Animal: They're running! Tank! Git 'em!
Tank: Woof!
Animal: O.o

Waffles: I'm going crazy, that was actually funny.
Sathra: It is, isn't it. Real dog brain too!
Waffles: O.o


Animal: Tank's stopped...er...growling. I think that's all of 'em.

Waffles: Where did all the bodies go?


Dix II: Guys? Hello? Damn radio must broken.
Whoops. Sorry Dix, upper floor and all that. Hunterhavoc didn't make it to the battle either, he spawned really far away.

-------------Mission Over-------------

Sathra: Well done troopers! Victory Music!
*Huge explosion*
Waffles: What the hell was that!
Sathra: *Listens to comm-bead* Alien ship self destructed. The Enforcers managed to complete their mission though.
Waffles: The who?
Sathra: The Enforcers. CoFN's guys.
Waffles: The recovery team? What did they do?!
Sathra: Uploaded a 'crash-down' signal hack to the nav computers. As far as the aliens know, the ship was shot down and failed to attack the base. The computers seems to have objected to the hacking, but we got a completion signal before it blew.
Waffles: Will it work?
Sathra: No idea, we'll have to wait and see.
-------------Wrap-up--------------
Yep, my attempt to explain why the aliens forget where the base is. The clean-up guys would know how to do it since they're the ones that take the ships apart. They'd probably notice that all the shot-down ships broadcast the same signal.

Anyways, wasn't a bad mission. No casualties (or wounded, thankfully. No medikits ><). Having the aliens all start panicking halfway through was a big part of it, not to mention how about a third of them seemed to spawn without weapons. No Blaster Launchers either, strangely enough.
Promotions!

New month!

POWER ARMOUR!


Laser Cannon(Tank) research has started, and it seems that next its plasma weapons. I'll probably do it rifle, beam, pistol, hPlas. Storywise though, it'll be beam, pistol, rifle, hPlas. That makes marginally more sense, with the beam being an attempt at copying UFO armament (bigger guns being easier to take apart, like the engines).
HWD after that.

[Sathra]

Chapter 8: New and same.

Ah, March. Order some hares in so I may see them fight for my amusement.
Sir, I don't think you'll get them to fight in the base. Besides, the base is still infested with weasels. The troops are armed all the time, and they're still popping out of nooks and crannies.
That's because I've been releasing a new crate each week. It'll help with combat training.
That's kind of cruel sir.
They don't bite that hard Waffles.
That's not what I mean-

That's...much larger than the others. And 13 isn't a lucky number either. Prepare the caskets.
Sir?
You just know someone is going to die. Oh yes. Doctor?
*over radio* Commander?
Prepare the Link.
The link? What's that?
None of your business! Launch!

Sir, I'd really like to kn-
And I said NO! Battle Music!
----------------Mission Start-------------------

Kirmu: Bigger ship. Good thing I brought a big laser. Damned heavy though.

Hunterhavoc: Well, duh.
Lucy: Enough of that, we got contacts moving in!


Assoonasitis: These targeters make this too easy. Wish the surgery didn't hurt so much.
Wait, surgery?
Classified, Mr Waffles
Dammit sir! What have yo-
I SAID CLASSIFIED!

Jean-Luc II: Colonel, shouldn't the breachers get the new armour?

Animal: I pulled rank. Bite my shiny metal ass.

Michael: Aaah!

Michael: My precious organs!
Animal: I'm coming rook. Medikit'll fix you right up. You've been ported right?
Michael: *groan* Yessir. Required for combat missions.
You did do something to them!
Fine. Yes. I'll tell you later, you nancy.


Michael: Pain makes aiming hard.

Kirmu: Hello Beastie. Meet Mr Yellow.
*Crakoom*

Kirmu: Whoah, woozy. Shooting these really drains you.

Animal: All patched up. Move out!
Michael: Yessi-

Animal: Dammit.

*Skrak!*
Lucy: You missed!

Lucy: And now you die.

Hunterhavoc: Looks like he came from there. Alley-oop!

Hunterhavoc is obscenely strong. He can throw HE Packs like mere Grenades. That's why he now carries 4.
*BOOM!*

Hunterhavoc: He shoots! He scores! Heavy Mob advance!


Lucy: Spotted the UFO. Damn that's big.


Marty: No sniping for you!

Assonasitis: Nice shot. Now do it without the targeter.
Marty: Shuddup.
Through the window, into the face, from a screen and a half away

Marty: Scouting guidelines say this is how its done.

Hunterhavoc: Pretty much. I'll do the top floor of this one.


Kirmu: Tank's moving into the ship. Get 'em boy!

Kirmu: Hahaha! Oh crap! Angry pet-owner!

Kirmu: My dog is armoured fool!
*crack*
Missed the screen.

Animal: Having fun I see. There's another door this side.



Dix II: Ah, I missed killing stuff.
Kirmu: No tank! Down boy!

*crakrakrak*
Kirmu: Eww, its all mushy.

Hunterhavoc: Stop playing with the corpses Kirmu.

Couple turns later. Killed another 2 Reapers in the ship.

Animal: Havoc, with me. We're going up.

Hunterhavoc: Whoah, I can smell the colours.
Animal: Huh, doesn't work when you're wearing power amour.

Lucy: We're coming up to reinforce! Dix, Kirmu, watch the lift.
Dix II: Aww, just a look. Bottom of the ship is clear. Ain't that right Kirmu?

Dix II: Kirmu?
Lucy: I told you to stay down there!


Dix II: I'm so sorry Kirmu!
Seriously, that's how my thinking went. Ship was mostly clear, sent Dix II up to help the sweep, and Kirmu gets shot in the back.
Last alien opened the door to the lift in the upper floor after Kirmu died and was promptly ventilated by Lucy.

Animal: Hey, one of these unconscious ones has a really fancy cape. Might be an officer
Captured a leader! Not sure how.


Dix II: This does not make me feel better.

----------------Back at base------------
See! Told you.
Yes, you did. You don't have to be so happy about it.
Yes I do. Now, Victory Music!
Now sir, about what you've been doing to the troopers...
Just a moment. Yes Sweety?
Researcher Sweety: We've completed the research

That's not much better than the Avalanches you know.
Yes, but the new cannon allowed for an upgrade to the tanks. They're in production, and Martin is assisting

Wonderful! More laser fun! Thank you Sweety
Sir! Could we continue?
Hmm, oh yes. Well, the alien cybernetics-

Oh, come on!
We'll continue this later. Send the troops!
----In the barracks----
Rookie: Man, why don't they use anesthetic in the surgery?
ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL
Rookie: AAARGH!
UPLOADING
[s]Rookie[/s]Kirmu II: Aaaah! My spine! Oh man, that hurt so bad. Heh, at least I'm the right gender. Now to punch Dix in the face.


---------------Wrap up-----------------
Ah, mysteries.
Anyways, sorry Kirmu. Bad call there, forgot that floaters could...well...float. It popped down from the Terror unit cradle and well...
Other than that, we got new tanks!
Also:

I appear to have modded Heavy Plasmas at some point (Its been over a year since I last played EU to heavy plasma). This one was never fired. All I know so far is that they're heavier (much heavier) than vanilla. I'll have to research them to find out if there's any other changes (The UFOpeadia pulls info from the game files).
They sure ain't the godly weapons they were in vanilla, that's for sure.

[Sathra]

Chapter 9: All turns to silver glass.


Waffles: Y'know, its Tehran. We could....forget...to save them.
Sathra: That's quite callous of you Waffles. Sadly, Iran is a pretty good scapegoat for our excessive violence.
Waffles: Really!?
Sathra: Ehh, kinda. We also get fined if we don't respond. Damned regulations.

Animal: We've arrived sir.
Sathra: Waffles! To the ops room.
Waffles: Battle Music!
Sathra: *sniff* I'm...so proud.

-------------Mission Start-------------
Assoonasitis: Hello Pinkie! Tank, KILL!


Civvie: چه کسی پرداخت برای خانه ام! Aiiiee! فرازمینی ربات ها!

Animal: Landing protocol!

Ahahaha! Vindication!
The fun you can have when grenades don't destroy each-other.
Lucy: Move out. Clear the LZ!
*extended lasfire*

Marren: Clear!


Marren: Akinori!

Hunterhavoc: THE COLONEL'S DOWN! Eat laser!

Hunterhavoc: Someone check on Aki!

Akinori: I'm fine sir. Returning fire.
Jean-Luc II: Assisting!

Jean-Luc II: Oh merde. Sorry Akinori!
Akinori: For w_at?
Jean-Luc II: I accidentally shot you in the back.
Akinori: Oh. W_en?
Jean-Luc II: ....Nevermind.
Jean-Luc II shot Akinori twice in the back at point blank range. Did nothing. Charmed life right there.

Lucy: Oh damn, the Colonel.
Sathra: Captain! Pull yourself together!
Lucy: But sir!
Sathra: No prisoners Captain. Gloves are off.
Lucy: ...Thankyou sir. *manic giggle* You heard the Commander!


Killing Animal's actual killer. With a HE pack to the face.
Lucy: No prisoners!

Lucy: No retreat!


Marren: You picked a bad time to show your faces.



Jean-Luc II: This is wrong.


Hunterhavoc: Holy crap! It ate the tank!
Seriously. That reaper ate the tank. Never seen it happen.

*crump*

Floater failed to throw a grenade again.:P


Floater: Mrrrrzii!

Marren: No.

Hunterhavoc: Someone kill that Reaper!

Marty: Eat this!


Assoonasitis: Got a runner! Escaping are we?

Assoonasitis: Not a chance.


Lucy: BURN IT DOWN!






Assoonasitis: AHAHAHA!

Marty: This is fun! Catch!

Floater: Mikta.




Waffles: Sir! Tell them to pull back already!
Sathra: You really want them on the base as they are? They'll run out of explosives soon anyways.
Waffles: Dear. God.
Sathra: Victory Music!
-----------Back at base-----------

*Watching television*
Earlier today the city of Tehran in Iran was rocked by a series of explosions. Information is sketchy, but rumours have been coming out that unknown black-clad military forces have been attacking civilian targets in the region.
The Iranian government has been slamming these events as acts of 'American terrorism'.

Waffles: Dear god. But...our troops don't wear black uniforms.
Sathra: The Enforcers do.
Waffles: The CoFN is doing this!?
Sathra: Iran isn't one of our funding nations. Secrecy is paramount.
Waffles: But that's...that's....
Sathra: Necessary.
--------------Wrap-up-------------
Damn, lost Animal. And it seems we're under the troop requirement for a Colonel with his death as well. Such a lame death too.
Fun as hell though. Ran out of HE packs at the end of that mission, and I load 12 on the Skyranger as standard.

LB, if you want Animal II to switch to Power Armour, just say so.


Couple of interesting screenshots.

Look at all of those P-Rifle Clips.


And this one. Not sure what happened. I think one of the blown up bodies glitched and ended up re-appearing outside the map boundaries. That's a new one.

[Sathra]

Chapter 10: Plasma-47s! For Everyone!

Sweety: We've gotten a handle on this alien weapons technology. Using the laser cannon as a base, we've been able to replicate the effect. Its still a bit crude, but it'll be more than effective as a ship-to-ship weapon. We'll start on the infantry equipment now.

Sathra: Thank-you Sweety

*In the Commander's Office*
Waffles: We're meant to be defending humanity!
Sathra: We are. There will be casualties Joseph!
Waffles: But we're-Wait, you used my real name.
Sathra: That's how serious this is. Casualties are expected. As long as the species survives, individuals are expendable.
Waffles: But. Sir...
Sathra: Do you want to know what my contingency orders are in case we lose? Hmm?
Waffles: Sir?
Sathra: I go to my office, open a panel, use this key and type a code. It'll launch the CoFN's stocks of nuclear weapons to every populated portion of the planet.
Waffles: ...
Sathra: Losing isn't an option. We win, or we ALL die.

----------Missions-------------
Battle Music


Lucy: Its going to be strange without Animal.
Hunterhavoc: He'll be back soon Lucy.


Assoonasitis: New tank. Says "Wuffles".
Wuffles: Woof!
Assoonasitis: ...Alright then. Ready for some killing Wuffles?
Waffles: *pants*
Marty: Done playing with the team pet? Cause these bombs won't throw themselves.
Lucy: Goddammit! THROW THEM!


Note, this is a waste of a HE pack in vanilla EU



Hunterhavoc: This ship is a wreck.



Akinori: _ow did you survive?
Marty: Not for much longer.




*Interlude*

Crashed in the English Channel


Plasma Beams

*Back to regular programming*


I like these cannons
Well, they can cut down a skyscraper. I'm still angry about that by the way.
You get angry about everything. *mocks* "Don't throw badgers at the engineers", "Stop shooting the Reapers with paintball guns" "Floater's aren't shuttlecocks" Nag, nag, nag.

Lucy: Er...welcome back Animal.
Animal II: Good to be back. What're your orders?
Lucy: This is....gonna be weird.

Animal II: Let's try this body out!

Assoonasitis: *speechless*
So cool.


Akinori: Under fire _ere.
Lucy: Don't you ever get worried?
Akinori: No.


Hunterhavoc: I feel much more comfortable in blast craters.

Assoonasitis: These pinkies just won't die!

Kirmu II: I know!

No kidding. This floater took 5 laser rifle hits and 2 HL blasts

Kirmu II: Nooo-!

Lucy: Die damn you!

Such...terrible luck. It did die this turn, after 2 more Laser rifle bolts


Lucy: Damn. Kirmu...what a waste of a suit.
Marren: *chuckling*

Animal II: Plink!

Throwaway snapshot, and he hit and killed it. The game remembers him I think.


Jean-Luc II: Oh, awake are we?
*Crack*
Jean-Luc II: Goodnight.


Assoonasitis: Ship's clear.


Victory Music
------------Missions End--------------
Waffles: I'm going to see to the troops.
Sathra: Hmm? Oh, off you go then. I'll be here, looking over these reports Sweety sent up.





*In the barracks*
Waffles: So Trooper Davies, how has the training been?
Alan: Its not too bad. Not sure about the surgery though. I mean, the upgrades are nice, but that Doctor is a sadist.
Waffles: It has to do with making sure the implants link up properly apparently.
Alan: Yeah, about the implants. Where are they from? I swear I saw the last one moving in the jar.
Waffles: Er...the aliens.
Alan: The ali-ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL
Waffles: What the fuck!
Alan: UPLOADING. Aaaahh!
Waffles: Trooper Davies! Alan!
[s]Alan[/s]Kirmu III: Mr Joseph? Who the hell is Alan?
Waffles:...Never mind. Good to...see you, Trooper...Kirmu?
Kirmu III: Yessir. I have to go get fitted for my armour now. *walks off*

Waffles: What the hell just happened.

-------------Wrap-up-------------
Condolences and Congratulations Kirmu! That floater took a stupendous amount of firepower and still managed to kill you, but on the bright side, you're the first to reach third iteration. Will there be personality damage? Who knows.


And that's the end of March.


Next month, hopefully we'll get something other than Floaters all the damn time.

Oh, and Plasma Rifles and Pistols are now available. The pistols were also modded at some point, so they're a bit more useful (cost less TU to shoot, part of the failings of vanilla PP's). Place your orders!

Heavy Plasmas should be ready after the next update. Excited to see what the heck they were modded to!
------------------------------------------------
Oh, some other stuff to add.


This is one of the interesting functions of the loader. Its Auto-sell mode. Don't really need it for this playthrough, but I've got nothing to manufacture anyways (20 odd spare suits of power armour and a bunch of extra laser tanks).

It does mean we can expand faster though! Time for a new base? America (North and/or South) I'm thinking. Take your pick, and suggest some names people!

That and research. Heavy Plasmas are in the pipe with HWD after. But what's next?
-Small Launcher
-Alien Grenade
-Motion Scanner
-New Ships (and Flying Armour)
-Alien Origins (from the live Navigator)
-Or some fluff techs. Currently we've got Alien Entertainment, Reaper (live and dead), Floater (live comes with HWD), Sectoid corpses and Mind Probes.

Edit: Hmm, odd question, but the colour I'm using for laser weapon fire, is it yellow or green? It looks yellow to me most of the time, but sometimes it looks green.

[Sathra]

I'd call the laserfire a lime-green. It's probably about half way between a clear yellow and clear green to me.

I'd go new base in Nth America, keep their funding going on the up and up. and research motion scanner (just because) then on to new ships. In your next update Sathra, can we get an update on how our soldiers are progressing? and for Marty you can throw in a plasma pistol to go with his laser rifle, thanks

America for the base.
New ships & Armour next - we seem ok on the weapons side, and the sooner we can toughen our forces, the better. (I don't want another member of the team using me for boxing practice in a fit of pique tongue)

He had a point though. The vector the alien used to shoot him? That's what you were meant to be watching.

I mean, it probably would have resulted in you dying, but even so.

So no-one wants to upgrade to plasma weapons? So far just got RavenX and Assonasitis. Marty is getting a plasma sidearm in addition to his laser rifle.

I'm liking my heavy laser the now but I'd be happy to trade my l.pistol in for a plasma pistol (extra clip optional)

That reminds me. I should really use the HL's more. The heavy mob always seems to either not have enough energy to use them, or a building in the way.
Most of your kills have been with laser pistols (or delicious HE packs). The only exception was....Kirmu (the original).

What else has changed with the heavy plasmas, besides the weight? Took a look on the ufopedia and xcomutil sites, but they don't seem to document the modifications.

...I have no idea. Whatever's been changed would have been something I've done myself.
Could be nothing, could be everything.
I can change it through the loader, but I really want to know what's changed (I seem to have lost the original program I used to edit the weapons).

Give me a bit, I'll skip through the research and post the info.

Alrighty, done.
Modded Heavy Plasma

Details:
Holy damn they are heavy. Its about 19 units loaded (EU has a glitch where a loaded weapon's clip isn't counted for weight sometimes). That's about as much as an unloaded Autocannon.
Snap and Auto accuracy is down, and they cost more TU to fire in those modes. Aimed shot is the same though.
Clip size is reduced to a third of the original as well (12 shots compared to 35).

They're actually heavy weapons now, rather than really powerful assault rifles.
For comparison: http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Heavy_Plasma for the vanilla version.

Edit: Is it strange that I'm now considering making them even more powerful? (130 power sounds good, nice and killy)

Huh - I'm actually torn now. The HL firemodes still make me grin in happy anticipation, as it sounds like you could wipe out half a ufo's crew with a well-aimed or lucky burst, but it also sounds like the hl mob is normally short on energy in the turn that they actually need need to fire.
Does that match up with what you've being seeing in-game?

Pretty much. Its probably a result of my current tactical 'method' which can rightly be described as something like: 'infantry-based creeping artillery barrage'. You guys have been basically walking across craters, while making more. You've been 'accidentally' killing more than a few aliens as a result.

There have been a few situations where a Heavy could make a real mess, and in every single case there was something in the way (house, sand dune, other soldiers, etc).
Otherwise, you always seem to be short about 5-15 energy. Therefore: HE pack spam. Or blazing away with laser pistols (which is doing wonders for your accuracy due to the low damage and number of Reapers recently).

However, this is with floaters. For some bizarre reason snakemen haven't appeared yet, and they would be much better targets (their average TUs are crap, and they tend to clump up a bit).

Hmm - looking at the ufopedia, energy increases after every mission, but only by a small amount. I'll stick with the HL for now, hopefully by the time snakemen appear the HL users will have enough stamina to be able to move and shoot. And i really want to see what happens when that spread meets a clump of xenos big_smile

In regards to changing the HP to 130:
Rule 37: There is no 'overkill.' There is only 'open fire' and 'I need to reload.'

[Sathra]

Wow... finally back.
So much has happened. Sweety got to make a report... Animal... Died?
As much as this would imply he needs more armor, I'd have to say no, until you get flying armour.
Also, could you show me the stats for laser rifl... Deathrays? Just to compare the improvement of stats, with the necesity of ammo on plasma rifles.

New base? Sure, North America, or China/japan/india area.

On research:
Do we have alien grenades? how inferior to HE's are they?
Do you thingk you could have use of motionscanners?
Is it really viable to use floater parts in humans, before we've done the first autopsy of them?
Is purple the new pink?

All this, and More! on Sathras next Uptade!

Now tuning in to pillows jumping a fence, going "Baaaahahahahaaa!"

Yeah, needed a scientist, and the phrase 'Thank-you Sweety' still makes me giggle.
Here ye go:

P Rifles are more accurate, but also more TU to fire. More powerful too. P and L rifles should weigh the same (8 for an L, 5+3 for a P), but due to the clip weight glitch P Rifles often weigh less.

Alien grenades: Not researched yet. Roughly half the power, but much easier to carry and throw.
MotSc: Maybe? They'd be useful for ship breaching.
Xeno-augmentation: Yes. Specifically, not all the A-Cybernetics are from Floaters (just most of them, due to the sheer number of floaters killed so far).
Purple/pink paradox: What?
Chapter 11: 4th state of matter eh?

Waffles: I've been wondering sir, how does Doc Martin even know what the Xeno-augs do? He started implanting them 15 days after we first encountered the aliens! I mean, we haven't even done a proper autopsy.
Sathra: Oh, that. Classified.
Waffles: Well, what about what happens when some of the soldiers die. One of the troopers was...possessed...by Kirmu when I was talking to him. Does that have something to do with 'The Link'?
Sathra: Also classified.
Waffles: Which part exactly is classified? Th-
Sathra: All of it. If you really want to know, ask the CoFN for clearance and the relevant data.
Waffles: I'll go do that then!
Sathra: Not that they actually know anything about it. They don't want to know about it. They'll have you executed for even mentioning it to them.
Waffles: WHAT?! You mean none of this has actually been approved!?
Sathra: I approved it. I am the final authority. CoFN just funds us and runs security and misinformation.
Waffles: But...you're insane.
Sathra: *shrugs* Eh. Anyways, the team's probably landed by now. Lets see if we unlocked the plasma weapons properly! Battle Music!

-------------Missions Start--------------

Hunterhavoc: Let's power up these plasma guns then. *cringes*
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...asmaassoon.png
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...lasmamarty.png
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...asmaravenx.png
RavenX: Why did you cringe?
Assoonasitis: They might have exploded. Anyways, chuck some HE out and lets get rolling!

Lucy: Wuffles' got targets! Bugeyes!

RavenX: I see one in the stable! Plasma away!

Assoonasitis: Tank's under fire! Kill it!

The one dead in the pic took 3 plasma bolts. There's something wrong with every gun Assoonasitis fires, this happens all the time! Oh, and Marty killed the other one I think.

Dix II: Who's up for BBQ!

2 bolts to die, damn tough sectoids

Jean-Luc II: Ship's empty, that's all of em.

There was another one, Lucy threw a HE pack at it. Forgot to take a pic.
Hunterhavoc: Nice easy mission. And the plasma guns didn't explode!
Lucy: Yeah, they-
Sathra: Troops, new orders. There's been a terror attack. Get to it!

Lies, had to go back to base, then to the mission.


Lucy: Oh great, night. Damn you timezones! Bombs away!


Hunterhavoc: What an incredible surprise! Its pinkies again.


RavenX: Heh, in the butt. And again with feeling!


Lucy: Feeling lucky Animal?

Animal II: You just had to remind me.

Kirmu III: Spotted a Chzerht! Firing!

Hunterhavoc: A what?
Waffles: A what?
Sathra: Ignore that. I order you!
Kirmu III: A floater! Are you deaf or something?

Jean-Luc II: This ones killing civilians!

Jean-Luc II: Not letting you do that!

Jean-Luc II: Gotcha!


Lucy: Found the main squad! HE out!


Dix II: Lethal suppressing fire!


Animal II: Get down you idiots!
*BOOM*
RavenX: We got a survivor! Dibs!


Dix II: Oh no you dont!



Lucy: I'd feel better sitting in a crater. This park is creeping me out.
No joke, it feels wrong not taking up position in a crater


Animal II: Damn civvies, YOU'RE LUCKY I'M A GOOD SHOT!


Assoonasitis: *flavoured* recoil!
Marren: Haven't got a shot! It near the phone booth?
Assoonasitis: Yeah? Why?


Assoonasitis: Nice shot!

Lucy: Anyone seen Wuffles?
Animal II: Yeah, it's carving its way through a warehouse.



Marty: That poor family. Bombs away!

Marty: Now for the cremation!



Marren: Ack! What the heck was that!

Marren: YOU!


Dix II: Damn buildings!
Kirmu III: I got it!

1 1/2 screens away pistol kill. From a rookie. Good show!


Marty: Sleep well.
Jean-Luc II: What?
Marty: Nothing!


Hunterhavoc: Got the final tally sir.
Sathra: Thank-you Captain. I'll forward it to the CoFN. Back to base now!

------------Missions End------------
Sathra: Victory Music!
Waffles: Forward to the CoFN eh?
Sathra: Yes.
Waffles: Officially, there are no civilian survivors of Terror Attacks, are there?
Sathra: No.
Waffles: This is a dirty war, you realise.
Sathra: Depends. If there are no witnesses, its all hearsay! HEARSAY I SAY!

-----------Wrap-Up-------------
Soo very sick of seeing Floaters. Sorry the recent chapters haven't been as humorous, I blame Black Library books. I'll try to get back into it.
The plasma rifles were quite useful in the terror mission. They kill Reapers in 2 shots or so, compared to a Laser Rifle's 5. The map was really cramped, which was a bad thing. P Rifles are best used like sniper rifles, on snap shot.
Oh and the alien that was shooting Marren had a shootout with Hunterhavoc. Plasma pistol duel. Hunterhavoc hit it twice, it hit him 4 times or something. He's fine, and currently holds the record for "most shot without injury or death" at 12 or something.

[Sathra]

Chapter 12: Wherein someone dies

*Skrak* Awk!
Waffles: Sir, what are you doing?
Sathra: Skeet shooting with a plasma rifle.
Waffles: With live pigeo-Oh...I get it.
Sathra: Get what?
Waffles: You're meant to use clay pigeons.
Sathra: Where's the fun in that? *Skrak* Awk!
Waffles: *shakes head* Where did you even get live pigeons from anyways?
Sathra: Same place I get the weasels. PETA.
Waffles: What?
Sathra: Yeah, People Enjoying Torturing Animals. Or whatever.
Waffles: You know what. I'm not going to ask. The team's nearly arrived at the crash site.

Sathra: Ah. Aki! Finish these off for me, would you?
Akinori: Of course sir. *crack* *crack* *crack* *boom*
Waffles: Grenades aren't sporting you know!
Akinori: Faster.
Sathra: Classic.
Battle Music!
--------------Mission Start-------------------

RavenX: We really get to do this every time!?
Hunterhavoc: You think all these demo packs I carry are for the fashion?

Marty: LZ is cle-

Kirmu III: Marty! Pinkie gonna pay!

Assoonasitis: Got another further on. Plasma don't fail me now!

So accurate.

Kirmu III: This seems like a great idea.


Jean-Luc II: Target down! Clearing the house!

That floater was charmed. Took 4 of you, firing on full auto from 12 tiles away to hit it twice.

Lucy: Tank's under fire, can't get a shot! Someone, get to it!
Jean-Luc II: *runs* In my sights!

Took 3 turns to get someone in LOF to it. If it wasn't for it having a Plasma Pistol, would have lost the tank

Dix II: Make a hole Wuffles! *Krakoom* Good biomechanical monstrosity!



Hunterhavoc: Moving into the ship now! New target!

Hunterhavoc: Clear it out!

Kirmu III: Ready to take nu-vhirton Captain.
Hunterhavoc: ...Good?
*stomp stomp stomp* *Kzzt*
Hunterhavoc: Oh, prisoners. Hmm, is that a toolbelt?



Jean-Luc II: Aah!

Jean-Luc II: Stop it!
*Krak*

extra info about this in the wrap-up
Jean-Luc II: My damn arm!

----------------Mission End-------------
Victory Music!
Sathra: Well Doc?
Doc Martin: Easy fix. Just some weave and electro-muscle. About a week.

Sathra: Wonderful. And we got that new base started too!

Waffles: Oh, its a theme.

Sweety: Ah yes, finished with the Heavy Plasma research High Commander.

Sathra: Powerful?
Sweety: Excessively. Its like a hand-held howitzer. Heavy though.
Sathra: Anything else?
Sweety: We'll start interrogation one of the alien pilots now. See if we can get a better handle on what those strange signals are.


*Over a week later*

Sathra: So very bored. The only contact we've gotten was that Small scout we disintegrated. Mr Waffles?
Waffles: Nothing. No UFO activity reported. Anywhere.

Sweety: Interrogation finished. We got alot out of it. Squaddie Akinori was very...persuasive.



Sathra: Brutal beatings?
Sweety: Joyously so. We did it to the sound of Cher. It eventually died. Geneva convention doesn't include aliens does it?
Sathra: Probably not. I'll make up some garbage about truth drugs, befriending and how it iced itself when it realised what it did for the CoFN.
Waffles: Utterly barbaric.
Sathra: Hmm? The beatings or the Cher?
Waffles: Uhhh. Hmm...Err...The Cher I guess? You've been blasting them with grindcore for a month before the interrogation. The beating probably was befriending by comparison.
Sathra: Ha! Won't be complete garbage then! Oh! Sweety, start with that Decoder thing, would you?
Sweety: Of course sir.

*Yet another boring week*
Sweety: Done! Got the plans right here. It'll automatically decode the fleet data of everything that comes into range.

Sathra: What kind of fleet data?
Sweety: Mission, Ship class, Crew, infractions, lots of stuff.
Sathra: Wonderful! Here, have a badger!
Sweety: Uh, thankyou. Its very...cooked.
Sathra: The stuffing is pigeon!
Sweety:...wonderful. Ah, I see the pigeon is still alive. I can see it trying to escape. I'll go...show the research team. We're looking at trying to understand the UFO systems.

Waffles: *giggling* Quite a culinary feat sir. By the way, radar picked up a contact. Getting the data now.

Sathra and Waffles: Shit.
-------------Wrap-up-----------------
Now if you've got a some good EU experience under your belt, you'll know exactly what the next update will be. There's only one thing a Very Large contact could be doing at 5k speed.

And as I mentioned before, some more info about how JL II got wounded. What happened was, a floater appeared out of nowhere and fired a burst into his side. JL II turn, got shot again, fired back. Then the alien fired, then JL, then alien, then JL, then the alien died. 6 or something plasma pistol shots at point blank range. Most stupidly funny thing I've ever seen.

Oh, and for MickeyC:

Your stats before you died.

Re-birthed Stats.

POW POW POW POW! *demented cackle*

[Sathra]

Chapter 13: Oh Goddammit.

Sathra: Oh goddamnit.

Waffles: This is not a drill! Everyone to your places! Wake up the tanks!
Sathra: Battle Music!

------------Mission Start--------------


Lucy: Team One, ready for ambush and repel.


Hunterhavoc: Team Two, moving up!

Jean-Luc II: Here they come!

Lucy: Volley fire!
Kirmu III: Mten-vras nu-Chzerht!



Assoonasitis: What the hell is wrong with Kirmu!


Lucy: This is not the time! Tanks! Move up!


Tatyana: Iron-Hounds report more foes moving up Captain.


Sarah: Gah!

O...k, new glitch for this Base Defense. For some reason, when the reapers died, they'd finish half their death-spin, then another one would spawn directly on top of them, facing SW. Very odd. Also, almost nothing left behind a corpse.

Hunterhavoc: Okay, split up guys. Fireteam with each tank.


Wuffles-03: Vrrr.


Sarah: Hey, no scaring the terrifying creations of a madman!


Jean-Luc II: In position! Eat laser!


Lucy: Hah, they've broken! Into them!

And then the aliens started shooting each-other for the rest of the battle

Marty II: Ahahahaha!



Assoonasitis: Bam! Right in the metallic nad-equivalent


Lucy: Face the Light!


Assoonasitis: Gotcha!

Assoonasitis: Oh, come on!


Dix II: Pfft, watch this accuracy, sniper.


Assoonasitis: Oh yeah? One shot, no aiming. Across 2 Hangars.


Jean-Luc II: Bloody children. Come Wuffle-03!



Jean-Luc II: Nooo!
JL killed this with reaction fire. 2 shots

Assoonasitis: Last one. Cross-base shot!

No joke, he was on the exact opposite side of the base. 3 hangar widths. Aimed shot of course


Sathra: How the hell?
Waffles: So you don't know either?

--------------Mission End-------------
Sathra: Victory Song!
Waffles: Oh dark tentacle-laden gods. WHY!?
Sathra: Probably cheese.
Sweety: Ah, Commander! We've finished our research! What the hell is this song?
Sathra: You finished the research while the base was being attacked?
Sweety: Yeah, sure. That.

Sweety: We've got enough to try making our own UFO's now.
Sathra: Excellent.


---------------Wrap-up---------------
Another base attack. We got a Blaster Launcher from this one, but somehow no actual Blaster Bombs.
Other than that:

Congratulations to (nearly) everyone!
Scary thing is, I was actually hoping that it was Snakemen. There's something deeply wrong with that.

[Sathra]

Chapter 14: And the confusion begins.

Waffles: New contact, small size.
Sathra: This would be alot easier if those decoders were online.
Waffles: They aren't easy to build sir.
Sathra: Yes yes. Hmm, tell the transport pilot to follow the UFO.
Waffles: Sir?
Sathra: We're running low on the shiny stuff.
Waffles: Isn't that dangerous?
Sathra: They ignore our interceptors till we start shooting at them Waffles. It'll probably be fine.

*Several hours later*

Waffles: Ah, UFO landed. In Sri Lanka.
Sathra: Finally! Battle Music!
-----------Mission Start------------


Lucy: Now, just have to not go mad with power....
Jean-Luc II: Colonel?
Lucy: Do my will! Kill my enemies!

Marren: We got bugeyes!

Marren: I got it.

Marren: I missed the splattering so much.

Dix II: Tank's under fire!

Dix II: I see the shooter!

Dix II: Firing!
*crakakak*
Hunterhavoc: You are a terrible shot. Watch me.

Pretty much what actually happened, though Dix did manage to hit it once. Worst show of marksmanship she's ever had.

RavenX: Gah!

RavenX: Grr, I'll get you!
I've forgotten to mention this, but RavenX gets shot at alot. He's rarely hit, but it is getting worrying.

Hunterhavoc: What is Raven snarling about? Something abou-Gah! *crak*

Hunterhavoc: Damn thing scared the crap outta me.
Hard to see the victim in question. Its right in front of Hunter.

Marty: Boo!


Marty: Ahahaha-oh crap!
Kirmu III: I got it.


*Crack*

Lucy: Gotcha!
Through 2 windows, at an angle, with the first shot. Magnificent
RavenX: Hey! You stole my-Whoah!

RavenX: Now you die!


Hunterhavoc: I like these pistols.

Dix II: Oh come on! That's just showing off!
From 2 screens away. Utterly absurd.


*KA-ROOSH!*
Lucy: What the hell was that!
Hunterhavoc: Some weird launcher. Bit dizzy, but the bugeye that fired it is out cold. *kick*



-----------Back at base-------------
Ceremonial Music
Sathra: Congratulations Commander Lucy Fer!

Lucy: Er, thankyou Commander. But isn't this going to be confusing?
Sathra: Not at all, I got new insignia and a new title.
Lucy: It looks like an armoured first holding a whip.
Sathra: Yes, its Tyrant Sathra now!
Waffles: I really hate to say it, but its true. CoFN approved it for some bizarre reason.
Sathra: And as my first announcement, I give you this!

Sathra: A new phase to our grand and increasingly demented war has begun!


-----------Wrap-up-------------
Yep, that promotions screen was the entire point of this update. In truth, the way I captured that sectoid was the simple tactic of sending a couple troops in to stare at it and blocking the door with Marty's shapely back. Nature took its course.

Firestorms away! THE TYRANT COMPELS YOU!

Dang!
Animal hit the "Return to start" on the rank, and Lucy won the race. Oh well.
Anyways, I think you can equip Marren with the heavy plasma. I'm conficent she's strong enough to handle it.
Just keep Animal as he is for now. I'm pretty sure you'll find him usefull. Once we start getting something else, than floaters and sectoids.

Also... I tried "Mten-vras nu-Chzerht" in google translate... it suggested translating it from german to english, ending with "Mth-nu-VRAS Chzerht"... Not that it made any sence doing so... I think I broke it...

Yeah, its not a real language. I'll gradually add words so you can translate sentences.
@LB: A rookie can equip a heavy plasma, they just can't carry much else with it. Or hit much for that matter.