Hey, everybody else has started a let's play and abandoned it. Lets Play X-Com!

[Smight]

FOOLS you think you have won!!! Just because you managed to extract insignificant peace of data from one of our least reliable commander, come then show us what you got, our defences are flawless you WILL fail.
So, be reasonable, we can be merciful, lay down your weapons and we promise we will spare some of you, now isn't that better than total annihilation of your race.

[ZeroNumerous]

Looks like someone got mind-raped.. Should I shoot 'im since I got my gun and all?

[EleventhHour]

FOOLS you think you have won!!! Just because you managed to extract insignificant peace of data from one of our least reliable commander, come then show us what you got, our defences are flawless you WILL fail.
So, be reasonable, we can be merciful, lay down your weapons and we promise we will spare some of you, now isn't that better than total annihilation of your race.

But I don't Like being dissected 5 times a day.

>.>

I'll keep him distracted, you shoot him.

[Alex Knight]

FOOLS you think you have won!!! Just because you managed to extract insignificant peace of data from one of our least reliable commander, come then show us what you got, our defences are flawless you WILL fail.
So, be reasonable, we can be merciful, lay down your weapons and we promise we will spare some of you, now isn't that better than total annihilation of your race.

Yew shur do make a funny noise when yew get thwacked......


Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Like one 'o dem squeaky toys.

[Smight]

Even if you kill this body you will never destroy me,

Bu ha ha ha ha

OW my spleen..

[Oslecamo]

Do you volunteer to have your power suit transform into the grabbing hand instead? Don't worry, I'm sure the transformation won't mangle your flesh too badly.

Couldn't we just, like, take out the humans out of the flying suits before the transformation? Or that way it wouldn't be as funny?

[Winterwind]

Couldn't we just, like, take out the humans out of the flying suits before the transformation? Or that way it wouldn't be as funny?

I think the blood is meant to function as lubricating oil.

[Swot]

Fort Fri was nearly done with the Avenger, and that meant one thing.

X-COM: Cydonia would be a really nice little base.

Once we are finished slaving away 24/7 thanks to Knight's wonderful motivational techniques we will celebrate your departure to certain doom on a mission Knight will certainly not want to miss from which he may not return alive after which you will all be crowned heroes and moved to some villa some where where we will never have to see you again you will be happy.

Yes?

*twitch twitch*

[pendell]

FOOLS you think you have won!!! Just because you managed to extract insignificant peace of data from one of our least reliable commander, come then show us what you got, our defences are flawless you WILL fail.
So, be reasonable, we can be merciful, lay down your weapons and we promise we will spare some of you, now isn't that better than total annihilation of your race.

*picks up a stun rod*

FINALLY a chance to use this thing!

*THWACK THWACK THWACKITY THWACK*

Ah, that was therapeutic .. but somehow unsatisfying.

Knight! How about a thwacking competition! Person who can get in the most thwacks in sixty seconds on the alien symp wins. Ready? On three!

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Copper8642]

*X-Com news the next day*

"...in other news, after the results of yesterdays thwacking competition, Pendell's whereabouts are still unknown. If any of you know where he, his limbs, or his human dignity may be, please alert Chiasaur immediatly..."

[Oslecamo]

I found one of his arms. And I was stationed on another base!

[pendell]

There seems to be a misunderstanding. It was not I and Knight beating on each other. Do I look mad? It was Knight and I jointly beating on the symp with stun rods.

Or at least *I* was using a stun rod ...

I dunno whose arm that is, but I still have mine attached.

Probably best not to inquire.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[chiasaur11]

We were all feeling pretty good. 4 captures, alien plans...

I was walking into the holding cells to brag, and maybe try to teach any aliens that wanted to learn it how to play "whack a mole" with the Ethereals, when a tiny radar blip flared across the sky toward London for half a second, and every single Snakeman in the cells got a **** eating grin on its face. I knew that base had something going on. Just figures it would be, you know, pooping in the coffee bad, not Chryssalid based destruction bad. And while our Skyranger was still getting fueled up.

Knight probably could make it though. I put out the call.
Chumbley seemed a little worried.
"Well, it is a big city, sir. If we're going to try to find every Chryssalid, we'd need martial law for years."
"This is Knight. I figure he'll manage it in less than five months."

In less bad news, Swot called in. Seemed he'd finished the Avenger, and the staff had finished Psi testing. Murska, Jimor, Kane, and Sgt. Rapture all had scored above eighty, which was pretty much a guaranteed ticket to Cydonia. Not a bad spread. And the Avenger...


It was amazing. Even better than specs. I mean, there were features there that would take years to implement tossed in as side projects. Onboard AI with a hovertank "manipulator arm", dual plasma turrets, room for more than twenty people, stealth systems...

I think if I wanted to, I could get a good cult going for this thing. Seemed Nano was going to pilot it. Decent enough flier, all in all, and the new interceptor pilot, Lester, seemed solid enough. Combine that with King's fighter at Kaiju Control, and we had complete air coverage.


Unfortunately, England didn't take kindly to Knight seizing control of the capital. Who'da thunk? And it seems we weren't getting funding until they got it back. Which would probably ensure a massive Chryssalid plague and mass death. But we'd still get the money.

And I did the last thing I expected to do.
"No deal. We'll give back London as soon as it's safe to do so. We're really sorry, but we value the lives of your citizens more than your funding."

Yeah. That meeting was awkward.

What's worse, while the Avenger (AND three Muton prisoners to interrogate) was on its way here, and thus currently unusable, something was spotted on the decoder.

Ethereal scout. #&*$&&*ing psi maniacs had found our base.

Hammer managed to drop the ship, but it seemed we were now on a deadline.

When the Avenger came in, I chose the troops carefully. Top psychics first, then officers, then Pendell, as I had promised him a spot in exchange for the last garlic Parmesan twist. As some of the crew was still untested, I figured a test or two was in order. Snakes had sent a scout for another base. Might as well stop those plans.

It mostly went well, despite a few problems. Rapture was a poor shot, despite his insistence on a crack at the first Snakeman we saw, and Lopez and Sheila (the Fort Fri laser tank) seemed to be distracting each other from work a bit, but in general it went well.

Well, other than the Avenger AI still being a mite... unstable. Tank started singing a little.
"He'll make you smile,
Or cry,
Like Leela did baby:
Airlock love,
Big blue orchids,
Martian skies,
And wild Blueberries."

The phrase "mildly disturbing" comes into play here. Still, it kills aliens.

As the Avenger lifted off, Nano audibly drooling over the manuverability and the shipboard AI muttering something about freedom consisting of two parts, potential and resolution, I thought over the crew. Worked okay, all in all, but another mission would be needed to iron out any remaining issues.

More good news came with the Mutons from Fort Fri. Seemed 1) the current three Mutons, having tried Bacon, were more than willing to lend their technical skills to our cause, and 2) there were mutterings in the alien fleet about possible uprisings against the current command. Not a guarantee of victory, but...

[Fri]

Eek. We lost UK?

[Oslecamo]

Eek. We lost UK?

We could never stop it. The mechanics of the game allow the aliens to stablish a base even if we intercept all the base building UFOs, and then the local government gets automatically infiltrated and stops helping us.

[pendell]

When the Avenger came in, I chose the troops carefully. Top psychics first, then officers, then Pendell, as I had promised him a spot in exchange for the last garlic Parmesan twist. As some of the crew was still untested, I figured a test or two was in order. Snakes had sent a scout for another base. Might as well stop those plans.

Awesome!

Losing UK ... so? I doubt funding is a concern .. I note the boss hasn't been publishing the funding numbers, no doubt to hide his careful skimming to build a palace in the Caribbean. We've probably got money to spare. It's just that ... when the aliens are beaten and we have the most powerful military and access to the resources of Cydonia ... there one less group of humans we have to play nice with in the ... end game.

Stupid question: In TFTD, why don't we just fire up the Cydonian cloning chamber and send, say, Mutons to fight lobstermen? It's gotta be more entertaining than doing it ourselves. We could even sell tickets.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Oslecamo]

Between Alex and Lopez being a little too trigger happy, and the alien leaders shooting their heavy blasters with normal acuracc(aka randomly), the cloning chambers were behind any chance of repair when the dust settled.

[chiasaur11]

Between Alex and Lopez being a little too trigger happy, and the alien leaders shooting their heavy blasters with normal acuracc(aka randomly), the cloning chambers were behind any chance of repair when the dust settled.

There's a reason Knight is being left on Earth for this one.

[Fri]

As a rear guard right? To protect earth as commander chiasaur go for the offensive right?

Our commander is a tactical genius after all.

[Oslecamo]

There's a reason Knight is being left on Earth for this one.

Oh, I didn't notice his unusual psi-strenght. I guess it's a case of matter over mind. But you still gotta deal with Lopez and his generator of plasma.

BTW, for psionic training, the less people on training, the faster they level up?

[ZeroNumerous]

I never did find out what my Psi Strength is, did I?

[Winterwind]

There's a reason Knight is being left on Earth for this one.

...and who is going to break this to him?

[ZeroNumerous]

...and who is going to break this to him?

I vote Fri. He can't kill a medikit.

[chiasaur11]

I never did find out what my Psi Strength is, did I?

19.

Yes. I know.

And while the Avenger gone, Knight is in charge of X-COM on Earth.

Should soften the blow for him.

[Copper8642]

Ya, but Pendell, you challenged Knight. That's all that matters. And rarely does the carnage of Knight's thwacking stop at the intended target. Speaking of which, when he's in charge, will he have a key to the storeroom, or am I safe in here?

[Winterwind]

19.

Yes. I know.

And while the Avenger gone, Knight is in charge of X-COM on Earth.

Should soften the blow for him.

...wait.

Here you are, leaving Earth for Cydonia, while Knight is left in charge of X-Com on Earth... and in Terror from the Deep, it's Knight who commands over the X-Com Project still.

...oh my God, everyone is going to die up there!

[Comet]

Just popping in to remark that this narrative is more epic than the Bible.
And having Alex Knight command X-Com under the sea is making TftD sound even more dangerous than it already is. That's why I joined.

Good luck in Cydonia

[pendell]

...wait.

Here you are, leaving Earth for Cydonia, while Knight is left in charge of X-Com on Earth... and in Terror from the Deep, it's Knight who commands over the X-Com Project still.

...oh my God, everyone is going to die up there!

Not at all. It's just that after Chiasaur had used psi-amps to zap world leaders into forking enough money, booze and accessories to live in Hugh Hefner style, he's a little too ... distracted ... to run X-com. So Knight had to step in. His killing rage will serve us well.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[ZeroNumerous]

19.

Damn. Guess I'm stuck on earth, huh?

[SlyGuyMcFly]

I don't think I know my psi score either, come to think of it.