The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

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Mothra
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Mothra » Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:27 am

Been seeing a concerning uptick in UFO activity across the continent. Better, stronger, faster types of craft buzzing over our airspace like they own the place.

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These little dinky tin cans are cake; can't take more than a single archer missile to asplode.

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As are these odd little "light fighter" pods. These tend to escort medium-to-large sized craft, harassing interceptors that enter their range. If you take enough hits, they can successfully turn your craft around.

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They're actually manned, turns out, just one sectoid stuffed into humiliating lil' cuck pod by rowdy jocular mutons one must assume.

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We're not so foolish - our fighter craft are now, basically, unmanned drones. We have Mharr installed into the Mutavore and Ziiro jacked into the Mig, running literally around the clock to splash ETs.

Some engagements are abandoned altogether when the dogfight gets hairy - we're pretty outmatched with some of these new variants.

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While the Mig's getting fixed up, we pour our research into a slightly better interceptor craft.

With the Red Forest, Dantero Bay, and the Shatterdome all coordinating on the same project, we're able to fast-track this pretty well. We push past Interceptor and go one better.

Being russians, we of course go with a swept-wing like our boi the SU-47:

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Far better than the Mig, faster than the Mutavore. Can't take the hits too well, but it doesn't get hit as much, so, s'fine. We offload the latest crop of alien corpses, The Things, ectoplasmii, and good ol' fashioned briefcases of civil forfeitureded cash on the grey market to outfit our new fighter, dubbed the "R-Type". UAC gives us a reasonable deal on two "mass driver cannons" and we're able to work something out with the Council for a second-hand "auxiliary thruster" mod.

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Ain't bad at all.

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Another set of contacts off the coast of Hong Kong.

With Ziiro's core installed into the R-Type, Wheels climbs in as co-pilot.

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Ziiro carves through the two light escorts like butter.

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He lines up the medium-size UFO booking it for western China.

Sentry-class

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This small UFO is tasked with observation and patrol duties. It is armed for war and will provide some challenge to our interceptors.

A few flashes from the craft as it lobs heavy plasma back at the R-Type. One whiffs, one hits.

Ziiro closes the gap and opens up on the underbelly. ET drops just outside of Chengdu.

It's a pretty brutal crash through a heavily-forested area, chunks of the hull and several mangled alien corpses littering the charred path it took skidding to a halt.

With the main assault group still mostly in the medbay healing from that shitshow with the MiB, we're low on able-bodied men and women to throw into the fire here.

Ziiro circles over the crash site, shifts it into VTOL mode, and makes a landing. The cockpit pops open.

Good luck out there, Wheels.

World War Wheels



The landing zone is hot. Hot as in, "the forest is actively on fire."

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We didn't really think to outfit the R-Type with much weaponry, so, he's got no flashlight, minimal armor, no firearm, and only his trusty katana to work with.

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Wheels goes into a dead run from the R-Type to the hull of the UFO, barely dodging hot ballz of plasma from the dark. He rests his hand on his scabbard and waits as I mash 'next turn' twelve times.

Soon enough, a 'toid ambles over to inspect what it assumes is a smoldering corpse. Wheels plunges his steel deep into the adorable widdle belly of this unearthly abomination.

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As he sheaths his steel, Wheels uses his foot to root through the multitude of bizarre, viscera-covered alien gizmos on the ground.

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Oh yes.

Alien Laser Cannon

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A powerful, fast-firing laser weapon, used by the aliens mostly for assaults.

He hugs the wall and moves around the perimeter of the ship. Might be good on the outside.

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HOOO that was close.

An auto-shot of plasma melts the walls, setting fire to the ground around Wheels. He pulls back and takes a few deep breaths.

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Little fucker...

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IT'S GOT A KICK

The E.T. is fully incinerated by this ridiculous space gun. Nothing left but a pile of goo and one of whatever the hell this is:

Alien Multitool

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This device can interact with various alien systems to calibrate or reprogram them. It converts mental input from the user to a complex matrix of fields, affecting the system on all levels - from controlling power flows to editing individual bytes of information. It is powered with a small Elerium battery.

He tosses it in Ziiro's cockpit, slings the laser cannon over his shoulder, and places a hand on his katana.

Time to finish this fight like Wheels's hero John Halo did in Halo III when he defeated Halo once and for all and killed him.

He busts in.

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Ship is pitch black. Elerium reactor flickers with occasional spurs of errant power. The aft of the ship has two big ol' holes from the mass driver rounds Ziiro fired through earlier.

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Wheels flips the blade to the dull end.

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OMAE WA MOU SHINDEIRU

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Hope you don't mind ridin' bitch back home.

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Back at the Red Forest, atog gets to work interrogating the "navigator."

It has no name, none of them do. It doesn't so much crack as wither.

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Never really doubt what these things tell us is the truth. They can't or won't lie, for whatever reason.

Within the week, it's all but dead. It needs something to live we can't feed it.

It says very plainly and numbly that there will be consequences.

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I pull open the Kiryu-Kai file again.

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Wheels
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Wheels » Fri Sep 10, 2021 2:29 am

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I am the bone of my sword. Steel is my body and fire is my blood.
Una salus victis nullam sperare salutem

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hngkong
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby hngkong » Fri Sep 10, 2021 8:21 am

I'm loving this Mothra. Please don't feel unappreciated!

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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby mharr » Fri Sep 10, 2021 9:34 am

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Grath
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Grath » Fri Sep 10, 2021 10:32 am

I'm loving this except for the scene where Wheels got to be the hero.

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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Z%rø » Fri Sep 10, 2021 10:42 am

I feel compelled to watch the movie "STEALTH" right now.
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Wheels
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Wheels » Fri Sep 10, 2021 11:14 am

Grath wrote:I'm loving this except for the scene where Wheels got to be the hero.

You too can have the power of the shinobi with strength, dedication, training, and nippon steel folded over a hundred times
Una salus victis nullam sperare salutem

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Z%rø
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Z%rø » Fri Sep 10, 2021 2:03 pm

Yes. That's obviously what did the heavy lifting here.
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Mongrel » Fri Sep 10, 2021 3:15 pm

It's interesting that we're finally getting to see more of the actual original bits of the game now. Shit's HEATING UP!

Now I'm wondering how the added content will change the more familiar parts. Like this thing has everything right? So if we're starting to move on from the obfuscatory screen of human-based enemies to more genuine alien encounters, who or what's gonna show up?
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IGNORE ME
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby IGNORE ME » Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:42 pm

By the time Azathoth rolls in we'll have this baseball bat technology perfected to the molecule.

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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Mongrel » Fri Sep 10, 2021 5:52 pm

I think beating the endgame boss with a baseball bat would be the greatest possible ending to all this.

Pipe wrench also acceptable.
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Friday » Fri Sep 10, 2021 6:20 pm

In my headcanon, assimilated Friday is the final boss. And will get killed by New Friday. Who is revealed to be also assimilated in the post-credits stinger.
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby atog » Sat Sep 11, 2021 9:12 pm

What about Good Friday?
Placeholder for something witty that doesn't make me sound like an asshole

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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Büge » Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:46 pm

That's not for seven more months.
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Mothra
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Mothra » Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:40 pm

(Been real busy with work junk... going to try to get another post out this week)

Solo missions continue while the team is healing up.

The crew at the Shatterdome has successfully jury-rigged Mharr's AI core into the Mig.

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We can now rack up some experience for our lil' door-buster while we keep this UFO infestation in check.

With the Red Forest sicks bay still spilling out into the halls with the wounded, Zaratustra is handed his release papers, handed an alien laser rifle, and pointed to the Mig. Mharr takes the wheel, Zara gets cozy in the seat.

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First target out of the gate doesn't put up as much of a fight as other medium-class UFOs. Pretty weak weaponry, a lot of misses. Mharr scores a clean hit with well-placed bisnovat and it goes down near Nantes.

He oggers in the Mig.

Black Site



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Zara picks off a few dazed sectoids outside the UFO and moves in.

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Doesn't seem too bad! Just a lil' guy...

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Ah.

Absolutely never seen a ship like this before. God knows what it's for.

Zara busts in the door. A little back-and-forth skirmish with some kind of insane bug-monster with a metallic corkscrew body.

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They're lightly-armed with pistols, but pretty hardy, at least compared to the handful of 'toids still running about.

Zara plinks one in the compound eye. A spurt of thick yellow goo paints the bulkhead.

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He steps into the weird, pulsing red field, and is gently carried up to the next floor.

Fugging... not a single staircase on this ship. They're really betting the barn on the power never, ever going down.

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Then again, I guess stairs ain't for everyone.

The second floor is uncharacteristically open for a UFO. A sectoid holding some kind of multitool startles at the sudden appearance of an intruder and tries to flee. Zara plugs it in the back.

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He continues to move through the ship, killing whatever he encounters. Very light resistance, a lot of screaming and chittering.

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The west and east wings are packed with samples of plants, animals, machines...

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One of the giant spiders we've been running into here and there...

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...There is a slowly-pulsating mass of organs in one of them...

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...And there are people, some opened, some not. All look like they did not die pleasantly.

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Oh fuck WE GOT COWS HERE

There are not one but TWO stations devoted exclusively to dissecting cattle. I have to imagine they are just that baffled there's one of these surreal bipedal oafs for every four people on the planet.

Back home, atog busts out the lobster crackers and digs in.

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We run through the samples and the biotech, getting a little more insight into what kind of "medical" technology the aliens are interested in.

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Pretty clear by now the intended purpose of this ship:

Lab Ship

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Lab Ships are large vessels, tasked with major research and harvest operations. Much bigger than Harvesters, they are equipped for conducting complex experiments on board. Their crew is numerous and rather well equipped.

Some sort of mobile black site, processing whatever they can scoop up.

We schlep the waspite bodies into the corpse freezer and tag them for the grey market, shaking our heads at how barbaric our foes are to run such a ungodly torture gulag. Truly, monsters, the lot of em.

Within the week, we have heinously rich buyers looking to eat the waspite eyes to gain their alien magicks. We happily sell off the lot and funnel the money into much-needed feed for the mutant rat farm.

The ol' 9 to 5...

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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Mazian » Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:54 pm

Mothra wrote:There are not one but TWO stations devoted exclusively to dissecting cattle. I have to imagine they are just that baffled there's one of these surreal bipedal oafs for every four people on the planet.

They have a tech tree of their own. Research into the perfect hamburger is proceeding deliciously.

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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby zaratustra » Thu Sep 23, 2021 3:13 pm

DO NOT FEAR COWS I WILL SAVE YOU

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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Mongrel » Thu Sep 23, 2021 4:32 pm

zaratustra wrote:DO NOT FEAR COWS I WILL SAVE YOU

comma placement
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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Upthorn » Thu Sep 23, 2021 7:22 pm

DO NOT, FEAR COWS I, WILL SAVE, YOU
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.

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Re: The X-Com Files: All Y'All Gonna Die

Postby Büge » Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:29 pm

Mothra wrote:Doesn't seem too bad! Just a lil' guy...


"heyheyheyyy c'maahn I'm a little guy, I'm just a little guyy, noo, it's also my birthday, I'm a little birthday boyy"
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