Aliens 2 scenario options

[hymer]

I've wanted to run an Aliens-based scenario for years now. The PCs arrive at the disaster site, explore, get in deep doodoo, and then choices must be made. I'd like more options for getting out of the doodoo, though.

The movie gives us two options: Bunker up and resist until the cavalry arrives. Or sneak out and activate the antenna, so you can remote-pilet a dropship to come pick you up.

Another option I can think of is taking the fight to the baddies. Wipe them out, D&D style, room by room, until you stand in the hatchery face to face with the queen.

Does anyone have any more variations or strategies the PCs could take, which the scenario should be prepared for?

[The Jack]

Who are the PCs, why are they there, and what's the geography of the disaster site?

[hymer]

Who are the PCs, why are they there, and what's the geography of the disaster site?

Feel free to tell me. If the presence of a volcano gives you an option, there can be one, at least for the purposes of brainstorming.

[Kid Jake]

They could also kill themselves; thus cleverly denying the savage, endless horde the satisfaction.

[BreaktheStatue]

There's only one way to resolve it: nuke the entire site from orbit.

[Aliess]

Get to the reactor/vents and blow up the facility.

[Thinker]

An alternative to hunkering down is to continue to flee to a point where the aliens can get to them. They could also split up and do any of the aforementioned options: confront, flee, hide, remote activate the drop-ship. You could also have another threat appear that also threatens the aliens or a group who is also threatened by the aliens, allowing for diplomacy of some kind.

[Mordar]

There's only one way to resolve it: nuke the entire site from orbit.

That's not the only way to resolve it. It is, however, the only way to be sure!

[hymer]

That's not the only way to resolve it. It is, however, the only way to be sure!

You could roll seven cannisters of CN20 in there and nervegas the whole [expletive deleted] nest.

[Malifice]

'Lets fall back to the Sulaco and nuke the site from orbit!'
'No can do; the DM is policing the adventuring day and we've only just long rested!'

[Psyren]

1) What system? Sci-fi or Fantasy or both?

2) What style of game are you going for - horror, where the PCs are clearly outmatched and have to use smarts and stealth to survive? Or action, where they can be overwhelmed if they're excessively reckless but otherwise can mow down the enemy? Or something in between, where they can win fights regularly but have to be careful not to "aggro" too many of them at a time or else die?

3) Will there be a neutral "computer" type character that you can control directly to give exposition, like a snarky AI or a bound fiend?

[BreaktheStatue]

That's not the only way to resolve it. It is, however, the only way to be sure!

You could roll seven cannisters of CN20 in there and nervegas the whole [expletive deleted] nest.

Nice.

Suggestion: First PC to say, "Game over, man. Game over!" gets perma-inspiration.

[hymer]

1) What system? Sci-fi or Fantasy or both?

Or something completely different. Anything is possible at this stage.

2) What style of game are you going for - horror, where the PCs are clearly outmatched and have to use smarts and stealth to survive? Or action, where they can be overwhelmed if they're excessively reckless but otherwise can mow down the enemy? Or something in between, where they can win fights regularly but have to be careful not to "aggro" too many of them at a time or else die?

Ideally, the players should be able to decide this by the route they take. But there is an element of survival horror which should not be let go for such a scenario.

3) Will there be a neutral "computer" type character that you can control directly to give exposition, like a snarky AI or a bound fiend?

There will now, because that's great!

[Brother Oni]

The movie gives us two options: Bunker up and resist until the cavalry arrives. Or sneak out and activate the antenna, so you can remote-pilet a dropship to come pick you up.

Technically speaking, they only had one option - get off the planet ASAP as the reactor's cooling system had been damaged during the initial firefight, so they only had a couple of hours before it exploded. Due to the blast radius, the lack of transport and the environmental conditions of LV426, evacuating out to a safe distance and waiting the several weeks before the cavalry arrived was not an option.

I would suggest that if they take the bunkering up option, let them fend off the first attack and feel a bit safe, then pull the rug out from under them by putting a clock on their actions. Possibly your 'neutral AI' character points out that the volcano is smoking ominously and/or there's a few tremors, at which point they're reminded that the last time this happened, a couple of days later, the thing erupted?

Note that in Aliens, Bishop was a non-combatant - although he didn't fight, he helped them get off the planet. Unless you make the 'neutral' character incapable of helping (eg an AI that can't control anything) or getting its help is more trouble than its worth (e.g. a bound fiend), the average murder hobo party would probably just kill them.

[hymer]

Technically speaking, they only had one option - get off the planet ASAP as the reactor's cooling system had been damaged during the initial firefight, so they only had a couple of hours before it exploded. Due to the blast radius, the lack of transport and the environmental conditions of LV426, evacuating out to a safe distance and waiting the several weeks before the cavalry arrived was not an option.

I know that, but thanks anyway. Ripley & Co. had one option, but the movie showed us two.

I would suggest that if they take the bunkering up option, let them fend off the first attack and feel a bit safe, then pull the rug out from under them by putting a clock on their actions. Possibly your 'neutral AI' character points out that the volcano is smoking ominously and/or there's a few tremors, at which point they're reminded that the last time this happened, a couple of days later, the thing erupted?

I was thinking along the lines of the need or option to leave their bunker for short spells to repair broken power lines, fetch a critical component, maybe rescue a survivor, etc. But I really want them to be allowed to bunker up and wait for the cavalry if they want to. Of course there is going to be a last ditch storming of the bunker just as the dropships reach the upper atmosphere...

[The Jack]

The issue I have with an alien game is that Aliens relied on one sole conceit: The marines were incompetent and didn't know what they were doing. (This is why I kinda hate the movie and think 1/3 are better)

Games like AVP 2010 and Colonial marines focused so much on getting the marines right. IMO they're the worst part of the franchise and I'd rather see profesional mercenaries of various super companies fight aliens, as that'd fit Alien and Alien 3 more (Aliens is a very unfaithful sequel). Coincidentally, those games sucked, whilst games like AVP Gold and the monolith sequel were really good... because they didn't focus on colonial marines as their Aliens incarnation.


If you want players to play Colonial marines, they've kinda got to play incompetent, otherwise it isn't like Aliens at all. Players don't like -all incompetent- parties. Sure, that one dumb barbarian's funny, but when it's everyone it's painful.
If you play competently then are you really into the spirit of Aliens? You're just blasting things from a distance.

[Brother Oni]

The issue I have with an alien game is that Aliens relied on one sole conceit: The marines were incompetent and didn't know what they were doing. (This is why I kinda hate the movie and think 1/3 are better)

I'd argue that they did fairly well considering the disparity in numbers, intelligence failures and incompetent leadership.

It's fairly obvious that command didn't take the situation seriously as they sent in a single rifle platoon to check a situation (paper strength of 25, the movie had 12 marines going in) for a colony of 158 inhabitants, and it's estimated there were somewhere in the region of 100 xenomorphs.

Considering the xenomorphs were entrenched and had home turf advantage plus the marines were down to their side arms due to a poor (but understandable) leadership decision, if it wasn't their two SAW-equivalent gunners keeping hold of their weapons against orders, none of them would have made it out of the reactor room.

True that the dropship crew could have secured their perimeter more securely, but the marines had swept the area hours before and cleared it, so they thought they were safe, especially from what they considered to be 'yet another bug hunt'.

[tomandtish]

In fairness, it was a bug hunt.... really big, really fast, really tough bugs. It was just never clearly specified who was hunting whom.....

[Pleh]

Feel free to tell me. If the presence of a volcano gives you an option, there can be one, at least for the purposes of brainstorming.

If we aren't limited by systems, levels, or setting, then play as a 20th level wizard, teleport everyone to safety, and wish the planet out of existence.

[hymer]

If we aren't limited by systems, levels, or setting, then play as a 20th level wizard, teleport everyone to safety, and wish the planet out of existence.

Kid Jake has you covered above:

They could also kill themselves; thus cleverly denying the savage, endless horde the satisfaction.

[Mr Beer]

The movie gives us two options: Bunker up and resist until the cavalry arrives.

For 17 days? Hey, I don't mean to rain on your parade but they're not gonna last seventeen hours!

[The Jack]

I'd argue that they did fairly well considering the disparity in numbers, intelligence failures and incompetent leadership.

It's fairly obvious that command didn't take the situation seriously as they sent in a single rifle platoon to check a situation (paper strength of 25, the movie had 12 marines going in) for a colony of 158 inhabitants, and it's estimated there were somewhere in the region of 100 xenomorphs.

Considering the xenomorphs were entrenched and had home turf advantage plus the marines were down to their side arms due to a poor (but understandable) leadership decision, if it wasn't their two SAW-equivalent gunners keeping hold of their weapons against orders, none of them would have made it out of the reactor room.

True that the dropship crew could have secured their perimeter more securely, but the marines had swept the area hours before and cleared it, so they thought they were safe, especially from what they considered to be 'yet another bug hunt'.

(IIRC, it was just the pulse rifles that were the problem, and the rest of the weapons were fine)

I disagree.
The troops have such an overwhelming advantage in their firearms that they should've performed much better. The acid blood is nasty and the mobility advantages of the xenos is notable, but they're not enough considering that all the marines need to do is point and click. The Xenomorphs are melee attackers, and their opponents have automatic weapons (also, a lot of armour) so, although they fought in quite confined spaces and the xenomorphs have an ambush, fully-automatic instant death should've prevailed. But:
-nobody can aim
-nobody's disciplined
-Somehow the coward doesn't care for his own life, which is weird.

The moment they found out they couldn't use their best firearms in an area, they should've left the area.


Aliens is a contrived and painful 'nam allegory. I think that's really cool when it comes to ship design and slang, but the soldiers are just too damn awful.It feels hugely disingenuous because it's so obviously 'nam but the caricaturing is so extreme that it's... Diplomatically speaking, it's not just an exaggerated caricature, it's a falsified one.

(I understand veterans like the bravado of the marines and the way they talk to eachother, but that's a different story from how competent they are and their strategy)



All ripley needs is a quick tutorial on how to use the rifle and she does better than a platoon. (also thing I hate about cameron; the whole strong motherhood thing. It worked in Terminator, and I haven't seen half of his films, but once you realise it's there it seems so passe)




Series would've been much better of if WY and it's competitors just used private militaries. Would've gone well with that 'corperate greed' and 'corperations>nations' theme that they've got going on (even if it'd be smarter for a corperation>nation setting to still have an easily bought 'national' military for appearance reasons)

[hymer]

For 17 days? Hey, I don't mean to rain on your parade but they're not gonna last seventeen hours!

Some little girl lasted longer than that with no weapons and no training. I'll put her in charge.

[Brother Oni]

(IIRC, it was just the pulse rifles that were the problem, and the rest of the weapons were fine)

Well them and the smartguns. Put it this way - with only two smartguns going, they still managed to damage the reactor enough for it to go critical.

The moment they found out they couldn't use their best firearms in an area, they should've left the area.

I agree with you here - the reactor room was a complete fustercluck of a situation that nobody could have done well in except by not heading into it in the first place. They still got sent in anyway as it's their job - this is exacerbated by they still thinking it's a bug hunt (underestimating the enemy) plus their LT is so green it hurts (only 1 previous combat drop!).

With regard to their lack of discipline (Dietrich's lack of trigger discipline aside), they had communication issues with LT Gorman, so when SGT Apone got grabbed, they spent half a minute shouting for orders before CPL Hicks took charge and got them all heading back towards the exit. That seems reasonable enough to me.

They also couldn't get their pulse rifles back as their ammo carrier accidentally got torched when Dietrich (one of their flamethrower equipped marines) got grabbed, which cooked off the pulse rifle's caseless ammo, killing another marine and separating the whole group.
If you think their pistols were still enough against the xenomorphs, you're greatly over-estimating their performance and the environmental visibility and underestimating the speed and toughness of the xenomorphs and how well infiltrated they were (the marines walked past several xenomorphs hibernating in the walls).

I'm not sure who you mean by the 'coward'? If you mean Hudson, while he moans and complains about everything, he's still a marine and stands by his fellow marines; the colonial marines are descended from the USMC, so presumably still retain their esprit de corps.

All ripley needs is a quick tutorial on how to use the rifle and she does better than a platoon. (also thing I hate about cameron; the whole strong motherhood thing. It worked in Terminator, and I haven't seen half of his films, but once you realise it's there it seems so passe)

Mostly because she faces the xenomorphs on her terms, not theirs, she doesn't underestimate them and most of them are off attacking Operations, leaving the nest with a skeleton crew of defenders (maybe 2 guards, not including the Queen).

I think it's unfair to complain that the 'strong motherhood' theme is passe in this context considering that we're taking about a 33 year old film here (Aliens came out in 1986) and Terminator 2 is 28 years old (1991). The copying and imitation by subsequent films is mostly why that theme seems passe now - to use TV Tropes terminology, Seinfeld is Unfunny.