Use the first alien you find as soldiers

It was mentioned in the Xenopedia that they got the starting alien to follow orders, so I think it would be very cool to be able to do some long research to figure out a way to get those aliens to follow your orders, of course you would need to capture the aliens then take a while to convert them but the bonus is a soldier who can use plasma weapons before you research them but they are also slower, less sight, and more frail. (Due to the tech you implant)

How would you go about doing it?

Would they have to be captured first? And wouldn't they all be worse stat-wise compared to your human troops? It seems a bit too much like Psi Mind Control...unless you pretty much just use them as meat for the grinder...[insert red-shirt joke here].

An alternative would be a device which temporarily stuns by 'stopping orders' from the Aliens commands to these low level aliens. But it lasts a limited time as the aliens 'adjust frequency' to your block, though it'd be of limited use for obvious reasons.

On a related note, have there been EMP style weapons added that reduce the damage to the ship while causing it crash? There could be a missile with a short range block that causes these aliens (they are the navigators after all aren't they?) to stop taking orders or to receive confusing conflicting orders causing the ship to crash with minimal damage vs being shot down.

That would be PSI (mind control), which won't happen in Xenonauts.

@riotmaker

There was no such thing as EMP weapons back in the late 70's, still there aren't, at least not without a wire attached.

Well... You can simply detonate a nuke in the atmosphere and it will generate a decent EMP. We've been able to do that since the '40s, technically.

Ah while I still like the idea of capturing an alien then puting some tech in to it to control it, I also like the in the battlefield idea as well. (Keep in mind this would be lower level tech and only effects the first type of alien you find, this is so there is some variation for the beginning parts).

Also guys I mean TECH not PSI powers they said in the xenopedia for this alien that they were able to control it in a lab in environment.

Well... You can simply detonate a nuke in the atmosphere and it will generate a decent EMP. We've been able to do that since the '40s, technically.

If you want to kill the planet you're trying to save, yes, go ahead and use nukes Hell, why not? Countries do it on their own cities!!!!

Also guys I mean TECH not PSI powers they said in the xenopedia for this alien that they were able to control it in a lab in environment.

Easier to control something locked in a jar, innit

in the xenopedia they state that this isn't applicable on the battle field due to the immense space of equipment required. also putting things in alliens to use them is kinda a high risk/cost/time operation, so i figure humanity has something els to do with there money/time then planting chips in caesans

and using them as cannon fodder seems kinda useless, and highly trained soldiers would be way more effective, so i doubt this will add anything to xenonauts

and using them as cannon fodder seems kinda useless,

Because we have rookies for that

Aliens sending abducted humans after the Xenonauts.

Invasion of the Body snatchers terror mission trap

Local forces turning on Xenonauts. Oh wait, we have them shooting at us already.

As a former professional soldier, myself, I'm trying to picture this. I think that having an alien with the team, to whatever degree of control, would be devastating to morale (and therefore Bravery scores).

Furthermore, what happens if a captured alien becomes re-captured by the original forces? Now you've got a major security leak.

Last, but not least, would ~you~ trust a brainwashed enemy with a weapon, dependent upon a little chip manufactured by the lowest bidder for battlefield control? If you would, then you're probably not the commander to get the job done.

Hmm, the only viable idea here is some sort of "psi-EMP" grenade that would temporarily disrupt alien psionic link, making the alien trooper confused or even unconscious. But hey, the electro-shock grenades work almost exactly like that (effectively), so I guess it'd be superficial.

Of course you could think of something like a "psi bomb" to be dropped on the crash site, but that's in the "won't happen" department, along with air strikes and such; and rightly so.