I really think we need to be shooting this new contact as well. Leaving it be means we don't get an offensive scout of what it is. If doomsday is coming at us, we can find out for the cost of an interceptor, but if it's some punk-ass nothing we'll blow it out of the sky.
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wiltingI had fun once and it was awfulRegistered Userregular
Pity we don't have interceptor death rays...
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Mojo_JojoWe are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourseRegistered Userregular
edited February 2013
Turn 38 Decision: B 4 $: Engineering, unsupervised alien clones and playing the waiting game Numbers:
Overview
Funds: €750M [+€114M/turn]
Research Progress: No project 0/0 [+2d12*/turn]
Engineering Progress: Exotic Materials Lab 36/50 [+1d10/turn]
Borehole Progress 63[+2d10/turn]
Agency HQ, Madrid
Research labs [+1d12 RP/turn]
Distributed Research [+1d12 RP/turn]
Engineering bay [+1d10 EP/turn]
Radar Antenna Array [Allows detection of enemy vessels]
Hanger [Can maintain/hold 2 aircraft. Restores 1 aircraft wound / turn]
Another Hangar [[Can maintain/hold 2 aircraft. Restores 1 aircraft wound / turn]
Sickbay [Treats 1 wound or psyche damage / turn]
International Assets
UNIT [Active in Europe, Oceania and Asia, provides bonus missions, €30/turn upkeep]
DESCARTES PREMIER [Free attack on any alien craft that end up in Europe. Target number is 12 and it deals 1d4 damage]
Kola Superdeep Borehole [Digging too greedily and too deep]
STORAGE
1 x Anti-tank missile launcher (Target 14, [slow] [1d4 damage])
3 x Personal Armour [1 armour]
Specials
[Gunslinger] - On a natural 20 gains an extra attack
[Gunslinger II] - On a natural 19-20 gains an extra attack
[Headshot] - On a natural 20 deals an extra 1d4-1 damage to the target
[Tough] - +1 Wounds
[Revenge] - +2 on combat rolls if a squadmate is killed in action
[Even The Odds] - +1 on combat rolls if outnumbered
[Iron Will] - +1 Psyche
[Medic] - Restores one wound after a mission
[Berserker] - +1 on combat rolls for every wound
[Quick Reactions] - +2 on combat rolls in first round
[Bloodlust] - Killing an alien restores 1 psyche
[Slow] - Fires every other turn
[Fragile] - Breaks on a natural 1
[Targeting Computer] - Lowers target by 2
[High explosive rounds] - +1 damage
· is a Black Mark. Collect two to drop a funding level with a council
Europe +€54 [Level 3] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 16]
Middle East +0 [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -4 penalty]
Asia +€36 [Level 2] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 15, +2 bonus]
Africa +0 [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -3 penalty]
Oceania +€18 [Level 1] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 14]
North America [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13]
Central America [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -3 penalty]
South America [Level 0] [Morale -0.4] [Difficulty 13, -2 penalty]
The Coca-Cola Company +€16[Level 1] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 14] [.]
Internal: +€20
Research
Gear II: Personal Armour [Cost €10M, 5EP. Gives a soldier 1 armour], High Capacity Transports [Cost €250M, 10EP. Unarmed, 4, 3] [Transport 7] ]
Materials I: Basic alien scrap analysis [Allows exotic material lab]
Alien Tech IV: Alien Comms I [mounts comm packages on all aircraft], Alien Comms II [Allows ELF detector array], Death Rays [Cost €15M, 10EP: Difficulty 8, [Fragile]], Stun weapons [Phase 1 combat now deals stun damage]
Xenobiology III: Fractal Fish [gives +2 diplomacy bonus with Oceania], Jelly dissection [-1 max wounds on Jellies], Dust Bunny dissection [global +2 diplomacy bonus],
Mysteries III: Kola Superdeep Borehole [facility construction discount / mining spin out and excavation options], Vivsection Lab [allows advanced medical lab, identifies alien clones], Human composite blob [allows ELF detector to decode messages, allows unethical computation: increase research die size]
Narrative
First images came in. Blurred and shakey video taken from the deck of a trawler through the rain. The crew were all gathered around jabbering and shouting and pointing. Through the mist there was a shape. Something huge. The lower point dragged itself through the sea, but it extended upwards. The video was too poor to judge the size of the thing but it clearly didn't follow the form of the alien vessels seen so far. This was no hollowed out chunk of rock or toroidal stealth ship. This was something entirely different.
The fishermen that sent that first video stopped all communication a few hours later. Messages were being received but nobody was responding. Their GPS showed that the vessel had joined the shape's course. Over the following days more footage came in and more ships went dark, ignoring all hails to join the growing rag-tag fleet.
Analysts poured over the increasing volume of data, some of which was taken by slightly more professional equipment in better weather conditions. One particular series of photos captured the thing clearly. The first was from a good distance away with only the white roam around the submerged corner hinting at the true scale of it. It was a cube. A vast Platonic solid. Every edge was a perfect line slicing across the sky. The next started to reveal that the faces had texture, strangely organic structure on what had been thought to be blank perfection. Colour too, dark shades across the rainbow.
Dr Estefan pushed back from the console,
"I know what that is..."
Eyes turned away from the screen and towards the scientist.
"It's a Mandlebox. A fractal. Look, I'll show you"
He leaned forwards and few taps later there was an animation. It was identical. Infinite detail generated from a simple algorithm and now there was one gliding through the ocean towards the edge of Asia. One with edges two hundred and fifty metres long. The course from where it had emerged in the Solomon Sea was as close to a straight line as made sense across a globe. A direct path of travel towards the borehole. It may not have been a Dust Bunny, but it was coming.
[Mandlebox eta turn 40]
Down in the labs, Dr Bishop sat opposite a heap of dismembered body parts. Piece by piece he'd taken the human composite to pieces. It had been painstaking work but he'd learnt a great deal in the process. It was an organic computer. Built by the aliens from humans in order to bridge the gulf in psychology. At the core there was artificial material, a transmitter/receiver system (or so Dr Bishop guessed). Without an ELF detector there was no input for the system but Dr Bishop was confident that even without understanding how the system worked he'd be able to use it to try and decipher such signals. Of course that would need the engineers to pull their finger out and actually build an array to start intercepting the signals.
As he sat there looking at the pile of cold meat that had once been an organic computer Dr Bishop smiled. Of course! They could do more than use the inner workings to understand the aliens, they could do the whole thing themselves. Organic computers! It wouldn't be ethical but it would put the increasingly crowded morgue to use. No longer would interns die in vain as they misunderstood an experiment and ended up as a pool of gore. A human brain was a terrible thing to waste. Quickly he started sketching up designs. The recent medical break throughs from the alien replicant growth pools and the amazing science used to keep the composite alive. Yes! It could be done. They'd be fools not to do it really! Finally a computer they could interface with on a more human level.
[Research complete. ELF detector array will now be able to decode messages. Can implement Unethical Computation which increases RP dice size from d12 to d15. This is an atrocity]
Higher up in the hidden facility, Not-Wolner was back in his old bunk. He'd been released and officially reinstated as an active member of Rainbow Force. The Generalmajor had elected to put faith in the replicant. No more secret surveillance than any other member of staff was under. For now he was just lying on his bunk waiting for a call to action. Elsewhere Rei returned to active duty bringing the roster of Rainbow Force up to two.
A report of note also came from Helsinki. Something had come up during a survey of South American alien incidents. There was a short video taken from the upper reaches of a Chilean towerblock and a few details pulled from local bloggers. Authorities had reported a gas explosion. The reality was Jellies. Jellies and another counter-incursion agency. One with a very familiar name. The August Knights of the Holy Cross of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The gleaming white helicopter was a heavily modified Chinook. Vast golden decals of crucifixes adorned the sides and the soldiers which stormed out wore huge suits of armour which suited their description as Knights.
Their response to the Jellies was brutal and well executed. A few minutes later and the men returned to the skies in their helicopter. All evidence of the alien menace had been erased and they'd left only fire in their wake (including a smouldering ruin where once the homes of several families had stood).
Next
A - Perform focused research [additional +1d12 RP this turn]
B - Perform focused engineering [additional +1d10 EP this turn]
C - Hire new military personnel (specify number) [€20M each]
D - Train existing military personnel (specify soldier to promote) [Cost is €2M * Old Rank]
E - Hold negotiations to improve funding / remove black marks(specify council) F - Start construction of an ELF detector array in [Region] [€250M, 25EP: Detects previously invisible craft, collects alien signals]
G - Start construction of an Advanced Medical Lab [€250M, 25EP, €10M/turn: Replaces Sickbay. Treats 1 wound / soldier / turn and 1 psyche / turn]
H - Start producing [n] suits of Personal Armour [€10M, 5EP] [2/2 active troops armoured]
I - Start producing [n] death rays [€15M, 10EP. Difficulty 8 [fragile] weapon] [3/13 troops have death rays]
J - Implement Unethical Computation [€500M, increases RP dice to d15, atrocity]
K - Buy/Build new aircraft [€250M Interceptor or €250M, 10EP Dropship, 1 open hangar slot] L - Build and have the ESA launch DESCARTES DEUXIEME [Asia or Oceania, €250M, 25EP]
PROTOCOL OMEGA - Active the self destruct system
£ - Interceptors to engage the Mandlebox
$ - Hold interceptors
1 - Research Powered Armour [RP 100]
2 - Research Alien Javelin Weapon [RP 50]
3 - Research Alien Rockships [RP 50]
4 - Research Overcharged Death Rays [RP 75]
5 - Research Interceptor Mounted Death Rays [RP 50]
6 - Research Advanced Military Conditioning [RP 50]
Mojo_Jojo on
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
C(10) $ 6
While I agree that we could use some heavier firepower on our interceptors, I think we need to bulk up our ground strength more. Too many people injured. We need to recruit more people, and have a better training program for them when they get here.
Also, Mojo, a couple of questions: what's the option we have to pick to get our unethical bio-computers, and will that affect the ability to blow up the science dice?
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Mojo_JojoWe are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourseRegistered Userregular
It's J, and the dice will still explode it will just happen less often although the means will go up.
With 2d12 the mean is 13
And with 2d15 that goes up to 16
Once you finish the materials lab you'll be doing three dice
So 3d12 is 19.5 and 3d15 is 24
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
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Mojo_JojoWe are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourseRegistered Userregular
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
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wiltingI had fun once and it was awfulRegistered Userregular
Ah, guess that'll teach me to read better next time.
I think our atrocity computers can wait until after we deal with (or are dealt with by) the Mandelbox. Painfully expensive though...
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SnicketysnickThe Greatest Hype Man inWesterosRegistered Userregular
edited February 2013
K(Interceptor) $ 6
Something tells me we are going to need a full compliment of interceptors next turn. At least, assuming we are going to launch a strike against this thing. Better training for the troops also seems like a very good idea, given that if they don't end up in the hospital in the first place, we won't need quite so many.
Consider the size of this thing. What are our interceptors going to do against it?
The only hope we have is to infiltrate a considerable ground force armed with powerbooks and quickly written viruses to try and take it down from inside the aliens own network.
We need air support, but I think we should be throwing our aircraft at it now rather than muster the forces. By waiting we let it come closer to us without learning a thing about it's capablities. Better send 2 at it now, then find out if we should just go OMEGA or feild another set of aircraft.
Also, powered armor and death rays are pretty much useless because we are so slow on the EP. It would take us at least 10 turns to get a single group of armored personnel, while we are still behind on ELFs, atrocities, and DECARTES. Basically, anything we need to build is a waste of RP.
K (Interceptor) 3 £
Zeke's got it right, I think, except we need to research the alien travel stuff first. Sometimes we get a better idea of their weaknesses, etc, and that does things like have them have effectively 1 less HP. This is clearly different than the rockships, but researching the rockships is our closest thing. Also, we don't need to go Omega; Omega is for blowing up our base, and the fractal is aimed at the borehole.
Invictus on
Generalísimo de Fuerzas Armadas de la República Argentina
I told you all we needed to be shooting it! But no, now we've got giant freaky things zipping through our oceans.
On this planet things will be built in 3 orthogonal dimensions damnit! Launch the interceptors!
Also research powered armor - we need more troop survivability.
I'd rather get troop survivability through better training for the troops. That way we won't have to backlog our overworked engineering team even further.
Well, I'd really rather get some more efficient manufacturing, but I've got no idea how to go about that. I'm (fairly) sure it'll make sense in hindsight after we accidently pick the right option, but who's got time for that?
C(10) - £ - 5 think we should send an interceptor to see what happens. Then buy a new one next turn... Bio-computers sounds like a nice idea when we have time for it. Also, perhaps it would be less of an atrocity if we only made it from jellybrains?
K(Interceptor)-£-6
I don't think we need to build the bio-computer yet, there is no point risking our access to funding or more importantly the DESCARTES and its Asian equivelent at the moment.
C(10) - £ - 5 think we should send an interceptor to see what happens. Then buy a new one next turn... Bio-computers sounds like a nice idea when we have time for it. Also, perhaps it would be less of an atrocity if we only made it from jellybrains?
Look, the only real atrocity here is the total failure of the nations of the world to protect humanity from this threat. I mean, really, what's is less ethical: making a computer out of people, or forcing job creators & trail blazers like the Coca Cola Company to disrupt it's normal business to combat the extraterrestrial menace?
With Love and Courage
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jakobaggerLO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTOREDRegistered Userregular
I see Geth doesn't agree with not building computers out of people. Unsurprising but terrifying.
Research labs [+1d12 RP/turn]
Distributed Research [+1d12 RP/turn]
Engineering bay [+1d10 EP/turn]
Radar Antenna Array [Allows detection of enemy vessels]
Hanger [Can maintain/hold 2 aircraft. Restores 1 aircraft wound / turn]
Another Hangar [[Can maintain/hold 2 aircraft. Restores 1 aircraft wound / turn]
Sickbay [Treats 1 wound or psyche damage / turn]
International Assets
UNIT [Active in Europe, Oceania and Asia, provides bonus missions, €30/turn upkeep]
DESCARTES PREMIER [Free attack on any alien craft that end up in Europe. Target number is 12 and it deals 1d4 damage]
Kola Superdeep Borehole [Digging too greedily and too deep]
STORAGE
1 x Anti-tank missile launcher (Target 14, [slow] [1d4 damage])
3 x Personal Armour [1 armour]
Specials
[Gunslinger] - On a natural 20 gains an extra attack
[Gunslinger II] - On a natural 19-20 gains an extra attack
[Headshot] - On a natural 20 deals an extra 1d4-1 damage to the target
[Tough] - +1 Wounds
[Revenge] - +2 on combat rolls if a squadmate is killed in action
[Even The Odds] - +1 on combat rolls if outnumbered
[Iron Will] - +1 Psyche
[Medic] - Restores one wound after a mission
[Berserker] - +1 on combat rolls for every wound
[Quick Reactions] - +2 on combat rolls in first round
[Bloodlust] - Killing an alien restores 1 psyche
[Slow] - Fires every other turn
[Fragile] - Breaks on a natural 1
[Targeting Computer] - Lowers target by 2
[High explosive rounds] - +1 damage
· is a Black Mark. Collect two to drop a funding level with a council
Europe +€54 [Level 3] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 16]
Middle East +0 [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -4 penalty]
Asia +€36 [Level 2] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 15]
Africa +0 [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -3 penalty]
Oceania +€18 [Level 1] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 14]
North America [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13]
Central America [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -3 penalty]
South America [Level 0] [Morale -0.4] [Difficulty 13, -2 penalty]
The Coca-Cola Company +€16[Level 1] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 14] [.]
Internal: +€20
Research
Gear II: Personal Armour [Cost €10M, 5EP. Gives a soldier 1 armour], High Capacity Transports [Cost €250M, 10EP. Unarmed, 4, 3] [Transport 7] ]
Materials I: Basic alien scrap analysis [Allows exotic material lab]
Alien Tech IV: Alien Comms I [mounts comm packages on all aircraft], Alien Comms II [Allows ELF detector array], Death Rays [Cost €15M, 10EP: Difficulty 8, [Fragile]], Stun weapons [Phase 1 combat now deals stun damage]
Xenobiology III: Fractal Fish [gives +2 diplomacy bonus with Oceania], Jelly dissection [-1 max wounds on Jellies], Dust Bunny dissection [global +2 diplomacy bonus],
Mysteries III: Kola Superdeep Borehole [facility construction discount / mining spin out and excavation options], Vivsection Lab [allows advanced medical lab, identifies alien clones], Human composite blob [allows ELF detector to decode messages, allows unethical computation: increase research die size]
Narrative
The Mandlebox drifted over the shore, one corner just scraping a narrow line in the sand. Its course had been slowly rising, a maneuver of such alien grace that it was almost undetectable. As it reached the rocky plains beyond it was above sea level. Behind the vast, ill-organised flotilla had mostly grounded itself in the shallows. Those that could had sent out dinghies and now those that were able followed on foot.
Understanding was not a word which could be used to describe the Chinese government as the thing entered their territory. The threat was alien and the agency had a responsibility. The volleyball nets were tucked away and the pilots ushered into their vehicles. Their numbers were up to three now, all hangar space accounted for.
In The Pit Mr Fish and Ms Chia joined the Majorgeneral to watch the three green blips race around the globe. The Mandlebox was presented by a red cube, a collection of voxels which traced that unerring route towards the borehole. Even now, with the threat of whatever was coming, Dr Thomas was still directing those mining teams to dig ever further downwards. Those signals were changing, new harmonics becoming available as they drew closer to the source, but it was all incomprehensible for the moment. The alien machines rendered the increasingly warm stone down to a pumpable ooze with ruthless efficiency
UNIT Asia were the first to board the grounded flotilla. The stench came first. The smell of too many people living in too small a space for far too long. Seagulls swirled in the air above, eagre to devour the lurking filth. Strange geometric designs had been carved or painted or gouged into any surface that could support the expression of maths. Every design was unique, some were fractals in their own right others were just interlocking patterns. All of it was a rigorously defined kind of art. No words, and even the sloppiest stroke of a brush was intended to replicate a perfect shape that was unobtainable by the artist’s hand.
There were a few bodies here and there. Most seemed to have died through tragedy rather than any malicious intent. The heavy machinery of fishing trawlers having failed catastrophically after being ignored and left in an active state. Any and all supplies were gone. Empty canned goods littered the floors, an undercurrent of filth. Even the rats were gone, a few jumbles of ash that might once have held ill-advised fires contained their bones and charred fur.
No survivors were found. Either they boarded the dinghies to chase the fractal overland or they vanished. Vanished was the official word but the local UNIT team thought that they’d simply leapt into the salty waters and tried to come to shore under their own power. Given the tides, there was virtually no chance any would have made it.
Dr Estefan was charged with taking Rainbow Force’s armour to the next level. They’d encountered something up on the massive rockship that had sliced through metal and flesh without hesitation. Most of that team were still recovering from their injuries. Such downtime could ill be afforded and the best way to speed up recovery was to stop them getting injured in the first place.
The problem was that he couldn’t simply weld on more and more sections of armour - the human body would collapse under the weight. Everything came back to designing a suitable powered exoskeleton -a solution the scientist detested for its inelegance. He’d find his own path. He had the resources.
Out at sea there had just been a few curious boats that were caught in the cube’s strange attraction. Now there were whole communities. Where the Mandlebox passed by homes and jobs would be abandoned and people would race to follow in its wake. By car, by bike, by foot. Whatever came to hand.
Three interceptors streaked through the blue skies. The thing hung in view for minutes before they were in weapons range. The Pit insisted on constant communication and to avoid getting close enough for guns. Stay just inside missile range, don’t do anything stupid.
White vapour trails marked where the missiles had passed, the six white lines extended from the tight V of interceptors. Explosions bloomed along the nearest surface, smoke and fire obscuring the infinity of the fractal. There was no obvious retaliation but the vital signs of each pilot started spiking, their communication abruptly stopped too. Another salvo raced out but the motions of the jet fighters had become jerky. Each of the three pilots was having to work much harder just to stay the course. The inside of the chevron over-corrected and in that instant he killed himself and his colleague.
The wing tapped against his neighbour. Or at least it looked like a tap as they reviewed the on-board footage later. Really at that speed tapping wasn’t a concept that made sense. The wing exploded and both interceptors merged together into one twirling mass of burning wreckage.
“ABORT ABORT ABORT”
His two wingmen down, the third interceptor pulled back and swung his craft around. For several minutes the pilot flew silently, ignoring all questions. The graphs and charts of his vital signs in The Pit were still spiking randomly as he heart struggled to keep beating through the endless flood of adrenaline.
[Air combat
Phase 1: Four hits from interceptors. Mandlebox deals 1, 1 and 2 psyche damage to interceptors.
Phase 2: Six hits from interceptors. Mandlessbox deals 2, 1 and 2 psyche damage. Two interceptors down
Surviving pilot flees]
“I... I don’t know what that was. It just... I don’t know. You can feel like it trying to suck you in. It just crawls inside your head. Did we do any damage?”
That question was still up for debate. Most of the missiles had hit. A couple seemed to have detonated early for some reason, exploding harmlessly once they got within a hundred metres or so. What footage had been extracted from the two downed and one surviving aircraft did seem to show some kind of debris tumbling down from the vast cubic thing, but it vanished before it hit the ground. Through the smoke there didn’t seem to be any obvious damage though. What had happened, however, was that the thing had stopped.
It was hanging stationary for the moment in south-east China. A new celestial body. One that just elected to spend its time a great deal closer to the Earth than most. A long teleconference with the black obelisks which made up the Asian Council afterward. The immediate area around the Mandlebox’s present position was uninhabited. The concept of a nuclear bombardment was floated. Usually the council made demands or requests, but this was a question. Nuking themselves would not be a popular move. They needed somebody to blame. Somebody to say that it would all be okay.
The interceptor arrived back in due course. Its pilot given indefinite leave and another brave recruit called up to man the last surviving anti-alien craft..
Next
A - Perform focused research [additional +1d12 RP this turn]
B - Perform focused engineering [additional +1d10 EP this turn]
C - Hire new military personnel (specify number) [€20M each]
D - Train existing military personnel (specify soldier to promote) [Cost is €2M * Old Rank]
E - Hold negotiations to improve funding / remove black marks(specify council) F - Start construction of an ELF detector array in [Region] [€250M, 25EP: Detects previously invisible craft, collects alien signals]
G - Start construction of an Advanced Medical Lab [€250M, 25EP, €10M/turn: Replaces Sickbay. Treats 1 wound / soldier / turn and 1 psyche / turn]
H - Start producing [n] suits of Personal Armour [€10M, 5EP] [2/2 active troops armoured]
I - Start producing [n] death rays [€15M, 10EP. Difficulty 8 [fragile] weapon] [3/13 troops have death rays]
J - Implement Unethical Computation [€500M, increases RP dice to d15, atrocity]
K - Buy/Build new aircraft [€250M Interceptor or €250M, 10EP Dropship, two open hangar slots] L - Build and have the ESA launch DESCARTES DEUXIEME [Asia or Oceania, €250M, 25EP]
PROTOCOL OMEGA - Active the self destruct system
£ - Interceptor to engage the stationary Mandlebox
$ - Hold interceptor
1 - Agree that the Asian Council members rustle up a few nukes and fire them at the Mandlebox
2 - Suggest that nuking their own lands and peoples might not be the wisest course of action
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
K - £ - 3, let's poke it again and see what happens. If this fails, nuke time. That is, ask China to withhold the nuke until we've tried an additional assault.
Also, for some reason I do not think we should attack this thing with boots on the ground.
Uh guys, shooting this thing again seems like a catastrophically bad idea.
We just lost two interceptors to what I'm assuming is some kind of psionic attack. And it's a box made of infinity mathematics. Whatever this is, I'm thinking we want to be damn sure what we're doing before we try shooting it again - and, judging from the missiles - it might have been tampering with their detonation circuitry.
If we launch something with enough fuel - like a nuclear cruise missile - who knows what'll happen. It might reprogram the nuke and send it at Shanghai or directly at not-Wolner in HQ or something.
It's stopped. We've bought ourselves some time - if we need to nuke it, let's just wait till it gets to the borehole when we'll have to nuke it. Better a desolate wasteland then populated countries.
We need to wait and see what it does - namely - see if we actually damaged it in anyway, or if it's just deciding what it wants to do next. But we're going to need more people on roster - immediately.
Then I suggest we hit up Japan and ask them if we can borrow a positron accelerator and a major country's worth of electrical power.
EDIT: Also, I think if we wait this thing will be in orbital strike range before it gets to the borehole?
electricitylikesme on
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jakobaggerLO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTOREDRegistered Userregular
Unless, ofocurse that the reason why it stopped is because it is damaged and that it is now repairing itself. In which case we need to hit it again. Mojo, could we get chinas army to volunteer some artillery and other long-range armanent for a continuous shelling?
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wiltingI had fun once and it was awfulRegistered Userregular
Russia is considered part of Asia and therefore is out of kinetic bombardment range.
Given the properties of the box, we can't use interceptors or send in a team. We don't have any inkling of any super science options. Interceptor death rays may have been of use, but that isn't an option now.
Leaving it alone and nuking it are both bad options... ideally conventional stand off weapons, like the kinetic bombardment or cruise missiles, would be the best thing...
Anyway, we should ask someone to send a sub down, see if we can find where that thing came from.
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jakobaggerLO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTOREDRegistered Userregular
I think if it's repairing itself now (which seems likely to me), the best bet might actually be to buy more interceptors and throw them at it. Too bad we don't have a way of boosting our pilots' psyche though.
wiltingI had fun once and it was awfulRegistered Userregular
edited February 2013
Hmm. I'm inclined to think we would run out of money for interceptors before we brought it down.
wilting on
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SnicketysnickThe Greatest Hype Man inWesterosRegistered Userregular
The question I have is are we in fact dealing with two separate alien factions here? One comes from the sea and is based on chaos theory and infinite mathematical variation, the other appears to be coming from orbit and conducting raids and cloning experiments. Something doesn't add up, I just hope this isn't a war on two fronts.
The question I have is are we in fact dealing with two separate alien factions here? One comes from the sea and is based on chaos theory and infinite mathematical variation, the other appears to be coming from orbit and conducting raids and cloning experiments. Something doesn't add up, I just hope this isn't a war on two fronts.
A $ 2
You know, I've been wondering the same thing. Didn't the original X-COM games also have some installments with space aliens and some with deep ones?
Also, Space Australia had alien life from two separate planets.
Mojo, can we use 'dumb' atomic weaponry on it? Something like a V2 rocket with 10-20 MT hydrogen warhead (you can't 'reprogram' a clockwork pendulum timer!)
Aliens need to learn that we're not hosting an intergalactic kegger down here.
Wait, why aren't we hosting an intergalactic kegger? Get them all in a room, get some brews and some chicks (would chick jellies be chellies?) and just bro down with them. Then we'll learn we're not so different after all and all get some Hooter's wings.
Clearly, we should have pumped up the ELM so we could have texted the invite.
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wiltingI had fun once and it was awfulRegistered Userregular
Mojo, can we use 'dumb' atomic weaponry on it? Something like a V2 rocket with 10-20 MT hydrogen warhead (you can't 'reprogram' a clockwork pendulum timer!)
Posts
Decision: B 4 $: Engineering, unsupervised alien clones and playing the waiting game
Numbers:
Funds: €750M [+€114M/turn]
Research Progress: No project 0/0 [+2d12*/turn]
Engineering Progress: Exotic Materials Lab 36/50 [+1d10/turn]
Borehole Progress 63[+2d10/turn]
Agency HQ, Madrid
Distributed Research [+1d12 RP/turn]
Engineering bay [+1d10 EP/turn]
Radar Antenna Array [Allows detection of enemy vessels]
Hanger [Can maintain/hold 2 aircraft. Restores 1 aircraft wound / turn]
Another Hangar [[Can maintain/hold 2 aircraft. Restores 1 aircraft wound / turn]
Sickbay [Treats 1 wound or psyche damage / turn]
International Assets
DESCARTES PREMIER [Free attack on any alien craft that end up in Europe. Target number is 12 and it deals 1d4 damage]
Kola Superdeep Borehole [Digging too greedily and too deep]
Personnel
ACTIVE
Alien Imposter Colonel Edvard Wolner
[10,4+1,4] [Revenge] [Medic] [Tough] [Iron Will] [Combat Rifle]
Squaddie Rei Ayanami
[10, 3+1, 3] [Medic] [combat rifle]
STANDBY
None
MEDICAL LEAVE
Colonel Steven Hiller
[6,3/4+1,1/3] [Gunslinger II] [Revenge] [Tough] [Fragile] [death ray] [Targeting Computer]
Sergeant Pam Poovey
[14[1d4+1],2/4,1/3] [Tough] [Berserker] [rocket launcher] [slow] [high explosive rounds]
Sergeant Sterling Archer
[8,1/3,3/4] [Bloodlust] [Iron Will] [death ray] [Fragile]
Squaddie Shinji Ikari
[10,2/3+1, 2/3] [Headshot] [combat rifle]
Squaddie Cheryl Tunt
[8,2/3+1,2/3] [Medic] [death ray] [Fragile]
Squaddie Asuka Langley Soryu
[10, 1/3, 4] [Iron Will] [combat rifle]
Squaddie Louis Ferretti
[10, 2/4, 3] [Tough] [combat rifle]
Squaddie Jonas Hanson
[10, 2/4+1, 3] [Tough] [combat rifle]
Squaddie Charles Kawalsky
[10,2/3+1, 3] [Even the Odds] [combat rifle]
Rookie Jake Bosworth
[14, 1/3, 3] [rocket launcher] [slow] [1d4 damage]
MORGUE
Sergeant: 1
Squaddies: 6
Rookies: 5
LIVE ALIEN STORAGE
None
STORAGE
1 x Anti-tank missile launcher (Target 14, [slow] [1d4 damage])
3 x Personal Armour [1 armour]
Specials
[Gunslinger] - On a natural 20 gains an extra attack
[Gunslinger II] - On a natural 19-20 gains an extra attack
[Headshot] - On a natural 20 deals an extra 1d4-1 damage to the target
[Tough] - +1 Wounds
[Revenge] - +2 on combat rolls if a squadmate is killed in action
[Even The Odds] - +1 on combat rolls if outnumbered
[Iron Will] - +1 Psyche
[Medic] - Restores one wound after a mission
[Berserker] - +1 on combat rolls for every wound
[Quick Reactions] - +2 on combat rolls in first round
[Bloodlust] - Killing an alien restores 1 psyche
[Slow] - Fires every other turn
[Fragile] - Breaks on a natural 1
[Targeting Computer] - Lowers target by 2
[High explosive rounds] - +1 damage
Craft
Interceptor [10x2, 4, 3]
Dropship [-, 4, 3] [Transport 2/7]
EMPTY SPACE
Funding
Europe +€54 [Level 3] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 16]
Middle East +0 [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -4 penalty]
Asia +€36 [Level 2] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 15, +2 bonus]
Africa +0 [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -3 penalty]
Oceania +€18 [Level 1] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 14]
North America [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13]
Central America [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -3 penalty]
South America [Level 0] [Morale -0.4] [Difficulty 13, -2 penalty]
The Coca-Cola Company +€16[Level 1] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 14] [.]
Internal: +€20
Research
Materials I: Basic alien scrap analysis [Allows exotic material lab]
Alien Tech IV: Alien Comms I [mounts comm packages on all aircraft], Alien Comms II [Allows ELF detector array], Death Rays [Cost €15M, 10EP: Difficulty 8, [Fragile]], Stun weapons [Phase 1 combat now deals stun damage]
Xenobiology III: Fractal Fish [gives +2 diplomacy bonus with Oceania], Jelly dissection [-1 max wounds on Jellies], Dust Bunny dissection [global +2 diplomacy bonus],
Mysteries III: Kola Superdeep Borehole [facility construction discount / mining spin out and excavation options], Vivsection Lab [allows advanced medical lab, identifies alien clones], Human composite blob [allows ELF detector to decode messages, allows unethical computation: increase research die size]
Narrative
Next
A - Perform focused research [additional +1d12 RP this turn]
B - Perform focused engineering [additional +1d10 EP this turn]
C - Hire new military personnel (specify number) [€20M each]
D - Train existing military personnel (specify soldier to promote) [Cost is €2M * Old Rank]
E - Hold negotiations to improve funding / remove black marks(specify council)
F - Start construction of an ELF detector array in [Region] [€250M, 25EP: Detects previously invisible craft, collects alien signals]
G - Start construction of an Advanced Medical Lab [€250M, 25EP, €10M/turn: Replaces Sickbay. Treats 1 wound / soldier / turn and 1 psyche / turn]
H - Start producing [n] suits of Personal Armour [€10M, 5EP] [2/2 active troops armoured]
I - Start producing [n] death rays [€15M, 10EP. Difficulty 8 [fragile] weapon] [3/13 troops have death rays]
J - Implement Unethical Computation [€500M, increases RP dice to d15, atrocity]
K - Buy/Build new aircraft [€250M Interceptor or €250M, 10EP Dropship, 1 open hangar slot]
L - Build and have the ESA launch DESCARTES DEUXIEME [Asia or Oceania, €250M, 25EP]
PROTOCOL OMEGA - Active the self destruct system
£ - Interceptors to engage the Mandlebox
$ - Hold interceptors
1 - Research Powered Armour [RP 100]
2 - Research Alien Javelin Weapon [RP 50]
3 - Research Alien Rockships [RP 50]
4 - Research Overcharged Death Rays [RP 75]
5 - Research Interceptor Mounted Death Rays [RP 50]
6 - Research Advanced Military Conditioning [RP 50]
We really could use some better interceptors.
I suggest we buy another interceptor to launch at the box, we may very well need it.
While I agree that we could use some heavier firepower on our interceptors, I think we need to bulk up our ground strength more. Too many people injured. We need to recruit more people, and have a better training program for them when they get here.
Also, Mojo, a couple of questions: what's the option we have to pick to get our unethical bio-computers, and will that affect the ability to blow up the science dice?
With 2d12 the mean is 13
And with 2d15 that goes up to 16
Once you finish the materials lab you'll be doing three dice
So 3d12 is 19.5 and 3d15 is 24
I think our atrocity computers can wait until after we deal with (or are dealt with by) the Mandelbox. Painfully expensive though...
Something tells me we are going to need a full compliment of interceptors next turn. At least, assuming we are going to launch a strike against this thing. Better training for the troops also seems like a very good idea, given that if they don't end up in the hospital in the first place, we won't need quite so many.
D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
The only hope we have is to infiltrate a considerable ground force armed with powerbooks and quickly written viruses to try and take it down from inside the aliens own network.
C(10) $ 1
The time for this 'ethics' nonsense has long passed. Maybe we can get back around to it after we're not being attacked by gigantic fractals.
We need air support, but I think we should be throwing our aircraft at it now rather than muster the forces. By waiting we let it come closer to us without learning a thing about it's capablities. Better send 2 at it now, then find out if we should just go OMEGA or feild another set of aircraft.
Also, powered armor and death rays are pretty much useless because we are so slow on the EP. It would take us at least 10 turns to get a single group of armored personnel, while we are still behind on ELFs, atrocities, and DECARTES. Basically, anything we need to build is a waste of RP.
Zeke's got it right, I think, except we need to research the alien travel stuff first. Sometimes we get a better idea of their weaknesses, etc, and that does things like have them have effectively 1 less HP. This is clearly different than the rockships, but researching the rockships is our closest thing. Also, we don't need to go Omega; Omega is for blowing up our base, and the fractal is aimed at the borehole.
:oops:
D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
I told you all we needed to be shooting it! But no, now we've got giant freaky things zipping through our oceans.
On this planet things will be built in 3 orthogonal dimensions damnit! Launch the interceptors!
Also research powered armor - we need more troop survivability.
Well, I'd really rather get some more efficient manufacturing, but I've got no idea how to go about that. I'm (fairly) sure it'll make sense in hindsight after we accidently pick the right option, but who's got time for that?
I don't think we need to build the bio-computer yet, there is no point risking our access to funding or more importantly the DESCARTES and its Asian equivelent at the moment.
Look, the only real atrocity here is the total failure of the nations of the world to protect humanity from this threat. I mean, really, what's is less ethical: making a computer out of people, or forcing job creators & trail blazers like the Coca Cola Company to disrupt it's normal business to combat the extraterrestrial menace?
Decision: K[interceptor], £, 1: A fresh interceptor joins the attack while thoughts turn to power armour
Numbers:
Funds: €614M [+€114M/turn]
Research Progress: Powered Armour 11/100 [+2d12*/turn]
Engineering Progress: Exotic Materials Lab 46/50 [+1d10/turn]
Borehole Progress 71[+2d10/turn]
Agency HQ, Madrid
Distributed Research [+1d12 RP/turn]
Engineering bay [+1d10 EP/turn]
Radar Antenna Array [Allows detection of enemy vessels]
Hanger [Can maintain/hold 2 aircraft. Restores 1 aircraft wound / turn]
Another Hangar [[Can maintain/hold 2 aircraft. Restores 1 aircraft wound / turn]
Sickbay [Treats 1 wound or psyche damage / turn]
International Assets
DESCARTES PREMIER [Free attack on any alien craft that end up in Europe. Target number is 12 and it deals 1d4 damage]
Kola Superdeep Borehole [Digging too greedily and too deep]
Personnel
ACTIVE
Alien Imposter Colonel Edvard Wolner
[10,4+1,4] [Revenge] [Medic] [Tough] [Iron Will] [Combat Rifle]
Squaddie Rei Ayanami
[10, 3+1, 3] [Medic] [combat rifle]
Squaddie Charles Kawalsky
[10,3+1, 3] [Even the Odds] [combat rifle]
STANDBY
None
MEDICAL LEAVE
Colonel Steven Hiller
[6,3/4+1,1/3] [Gunslinger II] [Revenge] [Tough] [Fragile] [death ray] [Targeting Computer]
Sergeant Pam Poovey
[14[1d4+1],2/4,1/3] [Tough] [Berserker] [rocket launcher] [slow] [high explosive rounds]
Sergeant Sterling Archer
[8,1/3,3/4] [Bloodlust] [Iron Will] [death ray] [Fragile]
Squaddie Shinji Ikari
[10,2/3+1, 2/3] [Headshot] [combat rifle]
Squaddie Cheryl Tunt
[8,2/3+1,2/3] [Medic] [death ray] [Fragile]
Squaddie Asuka Langley Soryu
[10, 1/3, 4] [Iron Will] [combat rifle]
Squaddie Louis Ferretti
[10, 2/4, 3] [Tough] [combat rifle]
Squaddie Jonas Hanson
[10, 2/4+1, 3] [Tough] [combat rifle]
Rookie Jake Bosworth
[14, 1/3, 3] [rocket launcher] [slow] [1d4 damage]
MORGUE
Sergeant: 1
Squaddies: 6
Rookies: 5
LIVE ALIEN STORAGE
None
STORAGE
1 x Anti-tank missile launcher (Target 14, [slow] [1d4 damage])
3 x Personal Armour [1 armour]
Specials
[Gunslinger] - On a natural 20 gains an extra attack
[Gunslinger II] - On a natural 19-20 gains an extra attack
[Headshot] - On a natural 20 deals an extra 1d4-1 damage to the target
[Tough] - +1 Wounds
[Revenge] - +2 on combat rolls if a squadmate is killed in action
[Even The Odds] - +1 on combat rolls if outnumbered
[Iron Will] - +1 Psyche
[Medic] - Restores one wound after a mission
[Berserker] - +1 on combat rolls for every wound
[Quick Reactions] - +2 on combat rolls in first round
[Bloodlust] - Killing an alien restores 1 psyche
[Slow] - Fires every other turn
[Fragile] - Breaks on a natural 1
[Targeting Computer] - Lowers target by 2
[High explosive rounds] - +1 damage
Craft
Dropship [-, 4, 3] [Transport 2/7]
EMPTY
EMPTY
Funding
Europe +€54 [Level 3] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 16]
Middle East +0 [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -4 penalty]
Asia +€36 [Level 2] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 15]
Africa +0 [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -3 penalty]
Oceania +€18 [Level 1] [Morale -0.1] [Difficulty 14]
North America [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13]
Central America [Level 0] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 13, -3 penalty]
South America [Level 0] [Morale -0.4] [Difficulty 13, -2 penalty]
The Coca-Cola Company +€16[Level 1] [Morale -0.2] [Difficulty 14] [.]
Internal: +€20
Research
Materials I: Basic alien scrap analysis [Allows exotic material lab]
Alien Tech IV: Alien Comms I [mounts comm packages on all aircraft], Alien Comms II [Allows ELF detector array], Death Rays [Cost €15M, 10EP: Difficulty 8, [Fragile]], Stun weapons [Phase 1 combat now deals stun damage]
Xenobiology III: Fractal Fish [gives +2 diplomacy bonus with Oceania], Jelly dissection [-1 max wounds on Jellies], Dust Bunny dissection [global +2 diplomacy bonus],
Mysteries III: Kola Superdeep Borehole [facility construction discount / mining spin out and excavation options], Vivsection Lab [allows advanced medical lab, identifies alien clones], Human composite blob [allows ELF detector to decode messages, allows unethical computation: increase research die size]
Narrative
Next
A - Perform focused research [additional +1d12 RP this turn]
B - Perform focused engineering [additional +1d10 EP this turn]
C - Hire new military personnel (specify number) [€20M each]
D - Train existing military personnel (specify soldier to promote) [Cost is €2M * Old Rank]
E - Hold negotiations to improve funding / remove black marks(specify council)
F - Start construction of an ELF detector array in [Region] [€250M, 25EP: Detects previously invisible craft, collects alien signals]
G - Start construction of an Advanced Medical Lab [€250M, 25EP, €10M/turn: Replaces Sickbay. Treats 1 wound / soldier / turn and 1 psyche / turn]
H - Start producing [n] suits of Personal Armour [€10M, 5EP] [2/2 active troops armoured]
I - Start producing [n] death rays [€15M, 10EP. Difficulty 8 [fragile] weapon] [3/13 troops have death rays]
J - Implement Unethical Computation [€500M, increases RP dice to d15, atrocity]
K - Buy/Build new aircraft [€250M Interceptor or €250M, 10EP Dropship, two open hangar slots]
L - Build and have the ESA launch DESCARTES DEUXIEME [Asia or Oceania, €250M, 25EP]
PROTOCOL OMEGA - Active the self destruct system
£ - Interceptor to engage the stationary Mandlebox
$ - Hold interceptor
1 - Agree that the Asian Council members rustle up a few nukes and fire them at the Mandlebox
2 - Suggest that nuking their own lands and peoples might not be the wisest course of action
Also, for some reason I do not think we should attack this thing with boots on the ground.
Uh guys, shooting this thing again seems like a catastrophically bad idea.
We just lost two interceptors to what I'm assuming is some kind of psionic attack. And it's a box made of infinity mathematics. Whatever this is, I'm thinking we want to be damn sure what we're doing before we try shooting it again - and, judging from the missiles - it might have been tampering with their detonation circuitry.
If we launch something with enough fuel - like a nuclear cruise missile - who knows what'll happen. It might reprogram the nuke and send it at Shanghai or directly at not-Wolner in HQ or something.
It's stopped. We've bought ourselves some time - if we need to nuke it, let's just wait till it gets to the borehole when we'll have to nuke it. Better a desolate wasteland then populated countries.
We need to wait and see what it does - namely - see if we actually damaged it in anyway, or if it's just deciding what it wants to do next. But we're going to need more people on roster - immediately.
Then I suggest we hit up Japan and ask them if we can borrow a positron accelerator and a major country's worth of electrical power.
EDIT: Also, I think if we wait this thing will be in orbital strike range before it gets to the borehole?
Given the properties of the box, we can't use interceptors or send in a team. We don't have any inkling of any super science options. Interceptor death rays may have been of use, but that isn't an option now.
Leaving it alone and nuking it are both bad options... ideally conventional stand off weapons, like the kinetic bombardment or cruise missiles, would be the best thing...
Anyway, we should ask someone to send a sub down, see if we can find where that thing came from.
A $ 2
D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
You know, I've been wondering the same thing. Didn't the original X-COM games also have some installments with space aliens and some with deep ones?
Also, Space Australia had alien life from two separate planets.
Wait, why aren't we hosting an intergalactic kegger? Get them all in a room, get some brews and some chicks (would chick jellies be chellies?) and just bro down with them. Then we'll learn we're not so different after all and all get some Hooter's wings.
Clearly, we should have pumped up the ELM so we could have texted the invite.
Doesn't China have nuclear artillery?