Dragonivon
Active Member
And in Julia Maluca's case... 5 off-target rockets and it becomes a running joke.
X-COM THINK TANK (Out of Character Discussion about X-COM and the Series)
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And in Julia Maluca's case... 5 off-target rockets and it becomes a running joke.
Gahlo
Active Member
The only thing running is her allies when she is setting up.
Dragonivon
Active Member
Always remember with many thanks to Schlock Mercenary:
20. If you're not willing to shell your own position, you're not willing to win.
The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries
UnevenRanger
New Member
Well, drunk as a ... skunk and just got back from the pub crawl with friends so figured I'd say happy new year.
Also thank god for autocorrect, it took me three try's to get this message to have no spelling mistakes...
Also thank god for autocorrect, it took me three try's to get this message to have no spelling mistakes...
Frostlich1228
Well-Known Member
I came up with it in my Season 3 Rp, I thought up this theory because I've always wondered exactly how the Aliens control the Cryssalid, Because they are Obviously Instinct driven killing machines that want to do nothing but Reproduce. A lot of people go straight for the " Their Being Mind controlled " Answer, But Cryssalid in game are Almost Impervious to Mind Control and Psi Attacks so that doesn't work, I've often asked myself why that is, If they are truly Instinct driven killing machines then they should be Easy to Mind Control, like the Mutons are, So I came up with the Theory that you can't control them because they have a Hivemind, They have a leader pulling the strings, I believe that these " Broodmothers " have faint Psionic Abilities that allow them to control large groups of Cryssalid and all the Aliens have to do is Enslave the Broodmothers to gain control of the Horde. That would explain why the Cryssalid don't just Tear apart their Allies on the battlefield and why they work together with the other Aliens to kill Civilians in the Terror Missions.
BMPixy
Well-Known Member
I have a bit of a different theory there. The aliens have been shown to be masters of genetic manipulation, so instead of a hivemind, rather, Chryssalids have their orders imprinted into their very genetic code. And since the Chryssalids reproduce asexually, these orders will remain intact, barring random genetic mutation (which could explain the Newfoundland mission, and why no other aliens are present. Chryssalid on a normal terror mission happens to produce a child with slightly damaged, so to speak, orders, and said child infects sea life, the damaged orders get passed on, and next thing you know an entire fishing village has gone silent).
On another note, however, your theory did remind me of something similar I saw in a Mass Effect/Enemy Unknown crossover, where the rachni, a species visually similar to the Chryssalids, was partially enslaved by the New Ethereals. The rachni did possess psionic abilities, which they used in a manner similar to how ants use pheromones, and that is why they were attacked, but one thing led to another and then there were Chryssalids.
Taxor_the_First
Well-Known Member
Also physical similarities to ants. Kinda. Ok, not really. But insects tho.
Frostlich makes a good point regarding the terror missions. Although the Uber at the end of the game mentions them being unpredictable and dangerous (basically something to the effect of "they could attack us too, but we decided that releasing them on you was worth the risk"), they never attack any aliens, even despite the physical similarities of the Thin Men. I've always found that a bit ...
"Odd."
Sorry, had to be done.
Pixy also makes a good point though. The aliens are definitely capable of genetic modification, something Vahlen mentions in several of the autopsies.
... see, this is why you should never analyze a video game. Too many theories! TOO MANY THEORIES!!!
Frostlich makes a good point regarding the terror missions. Although the Uber at the end of the game mentions them being unpredictable and dangerous (basically something to the effect of "they could attack us too, but we decided that releasing them on you was worth the risk"), they never attack any aliens, even despite the physical similarities of the Thin Men. I've always found that a bit ...
"Odd."Sorry, had to be done.
Pixy also makes a good point though. The aliens are definitely capable of genetic modification, something Vahlen mentions in several of the autopsies.
... see, this is why you should never analyze a video game. Too many theories! TOO MANY THEORIES!!!
Sharkdragon96
Active Member
But that's what I like about this RP. It gives people the opportunity to put their own spin on things in an established universe that are left ambiguous or up to inturpretation. It's ideas like Frostlich's that really make this interesting for me.
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Frostlich1228
Well-Known Member
I LOVE the Cryssalid, they are Easily one of my Favorite Sci-Fi Aliens of all time, They are also my Favorite in terms of Play style, good old Hit & Run
Cpt. Lokken's Moustache
Member
Dragonivon
Active Member
Go drunk everyone, you're home. Happy new year...
JohnnyKnight
New Member
Happy New Year everyone! I hope y'all had a safe night, and I wish y'all the best for 2014!
JuliaMaluca
Member
Good morning, guys! 9 in the morning and the short reprieve is over, the Berlin Civil War has restarted. Strangely, some idiots don't die out (like those who put crackers in your coat hood, or who fire their rockets into passing cars or down the stairs at metro stations). I, for my part, stayed FAR away from everything rocket-like and hoped for the best Have a wonderful year 2014 and may the Odd be ever in your favour!
Have a wonderful year 2014 and may the Odd be ever in your favour!
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JuliaMaluca
Member
I didn't know these. Will print them out and hang them on my wall!
Sort of general'ish question here, but is XCOM - The Bureau considered 'canon' for the game? I know there's a couple of minor references to it in some research topics or otherwise random comments that can pop up in the game, but otherwise it doesn't have anything direct.
If 'The Bureau' is considered to have canonically happened in teh game, then if so what 'path' of it was taken? Just thinking that some of the backtracking of trying to track down old records, survivors, or anything else that survives from the last Alien War would be a fun subplot for support styled characters (scientists and researchers, etc) to go for play purposes and would give them something to post for and advance the general plot. It wouldn't likely add directly into gameplay, but it might help enhance the feel of the story and history of the game. MEchanics wise one could always say the potential for some of the scientists digging up old laser weapons in storage from the 1960's in poor condition is part of how the alien toys were reverse engineered and readied for use in the field as quickly as they are.
Is this a possibility in general for folks/ChristopherOdd to consider just for background flavor, staying within the rules established otherwise in the game (no direct previous contact with aliens in soldier backgrounds, etc) and so long as Mods approve such threads otherwise? Or whatever mechanics would be appropriate for the game or NPC'ing.
If 'The Bureau' is considered to have canonically happened in teh game, then if so what 'path' of it was taken? Just thinking that some of the backtracking of trying to track down old records, survivors, or anything else that survives from the last Alien War would be a fun subplot for support styled characters (scientists and researchers, etc) to go for play purposes and would give them something to post for and advance the general plot. It wouldn't likely add directly into gameplay, but it might help enhance the feel of the story and history of the game. MEchanics wise one could always say the potential for some of the scientists digging up old laser weapons in storage from the 1960's in poor condition is part of how the alien toys were reverse engineered and readied for use in the field as quickly as they are.
Is this a possibility in general for folks/ChristopherOdd to consider just for background flavor, staying within the rules established otherwise in the game (no direct previous contact with aliens in soldier backgrounds, etc) and so long as Mods approve such threads otherwise? Or whatever mechanics would be appropriate for the game or NPC'ing.
JuliaMaluca
Member
A propos general'ish questions: will the recruits be already in the barracks underground when the RP begins, or will they be brought into HQ only when they get officially drafted during an episode?
Grelite
Well-Known Member
There's a clear timeline in the recruitment topic and the rule "The role play takes place in the X-COM Universe as laid out by the game. For sake of simplicity, this is the one and only Universe." -- The timeline, rules and much else would befall many contradictions should The Bureau be canon. So in short: no.
Christopher has stated in his video that, for now, the only people allowed to post journals are people in the active roster and base personnel. Though I'm not sure why, but it does mean that there will only be twelve active soldiers during episode one.
You say it's unlikely they're being controlled psionically because it's difficult to in the game, but then say Broodmothers control them psionically. It seems contradictory. By the way they are described throughout the XCOM games, namely as highly unpredictable, dangerous and difficult to control, I'd assume they have a very strong will (also indicated by their 120 Will stat), despite being instinct-driven, not something I'd consider illogical. The reasons they don't attack other aliens could be simple game-logic - a unit is either friendly or hostile - or could be explained through (as mentioned before) genetic modification. It's safe to assume pretty much all alien species have been genetically modified. They could have made some sort of modification that prevents Chryssalids from seeing the other aliens as prey. Of course, it'll all remain speculation.
Taxor_the_First
Well-Known Member
Indeed, this is all just theories getting tossed around. They all have about the same amount of evidence going for them. (Not going to reference religion, not going to reference religion.)
Whilst I wouldn't be inclined to explain the IFF ("Poor example. Hate using metaphors. Get a doctorate, have a real conversation" - Prof. Solus.) of the Chryssalid as genetic modification, it's just as plausible as the psionic control and Broodmother theories.
Remember that we're dealing with implausible things here. I mean Meld. Come on. Wat is this, I don't even.
Whilst I wouldn't be inclined to explain the IFF ("Poor example. Hate using metaphors. Get a doctorate, have a real conversation" - Prof. Solus.) of the Chryssalid as genetic modification, it's just as plausible as the psionic control and Broodmother theories.
Remember that we're dealing with implausible things here. I mean Meld. Come on. Wat is this, I don't even.
Dragonivon
Active Member
I highly recommend them. Schlock Mercenary is probably my favorite webcomic of all time. If you haven't read it, what are you waiting for? Just one warning: In the first episodes of the strip his art style is rough. I mean REALLY rough. But the core of the strip is the writing, humor, and the mass universe that Howard keeps building.
Thenlar
Active Member
Also, he never misses an update. Ever. Daily strip for like 10 years now. A comic posted 365 days a year. That's impressive.
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