Abandonia: Apocalypse [Archive]

The Fifth Horseman

20-09-2005, 03:10 PM

OK...
First, don't expect mission screenshots - it looks like Apocalypse doesn't like my DosBox much, and it freezes when I try to save. DOS32A didn't help much about that either (core=normal, BTW), so I'll be running it via VDMSound. The big downside to that is that I won't be able to provide screenshots other then the in-between the missions, sorry. I will also have to keep the battle reports short and to the point, since (alien sabotage, no doubt!) my computer freezes when I switch from Apoc to Windoze more then once per session, sorry again. I'll see to rectify the screenshot problem as soon as I can, since I have a possible solution already in my mind.

First recruitment in. We'll have some trouble accommodating new recruits, so I'll use the "stun ally trick" to obtain a substantial amount of money to move us to a better location (actually, I have two in mind...). The old base will be changed into a vehicle repair station, executable immediately after the move.

Fruit Pie Jones, A1s, Vazdru, Aristharus: your requested characters could not be supplied at this time. They will be added as soon as more recruits become aivaible.
To all who said "anything as long as I'm in": don't whine about your characters, since the more specific requests have priority, and only then yours are supplied with any characters that are left.
The Chosen: There were no human recruits with good Psi, but I found a reasonably human-like Hybrid soldier with pretty nice accuracy AND good Psi skills.

Currently, the quarters are nearly full. We'll build a bigger base (two!) shortly, though, so expect the recruitment to fare better then (I think 8 living quarters will about do, eh?:[img]http://www.abandonia.com/forum/html/emoticons/laugh.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='laugh.gif' />)

On a second note... forget about the stat adjustments. Seeing everything as it is now, that would be to much hassle for me to survive.

I'll spend two to three hours per day on Apocalypse (four on weekends), the difficulty is beginner and most of the battles will be played in RTS mode.
Save/load will be used only in extreme cases (like, entire team eliminated and not enough troops to carry on), no "try until you hit that alien" actions.
I _will_ use the "stun-the-ally" trick to obtain more funds and gear, so that the game will go unobstructed by lack of these.

I've registered an account on Photobucket specially for this game, to not overload my existing one. Initial report coming in a few minutes as I get the pictures uploaded.

a1s

20-09-2005, 03:16 PM

"stun the ally"?

SupSuper

20-09-2005, 03:26 PM

Originally posted by X-Com Apocalypse Manual
Screen Grabs
------------
You can create a PCX format snapshot of the screen by pressing
Alt-P. The files are created in the directory which X-COM:
Apocalypse was installed to and are named from XCOM0.PCX to
XCOM9.PCX.

The Fifth Horseman

20-09-2005, 03:39 PM

A1s: Ally with an organization and then raid them using only Stun Grapples. They won't fight back. That's some serious easy cash... :whistle:
SupSuper: Thanks, didn't know that. I have a slightly different solution I want to try before, though.

Vehicles
Same as with the bases, click thumbnail to see vehicle. Currently, the thumbnails for Phoenix Hovercars lead to the same image, since both are identically equipped.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Vehicles/th_Valkyrie1-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Vehicles/Valkyrie1-1.png)
Valkyrie
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Vehicles/th_Phoenix1-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Vehicles/Phoenix1-1.png) http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Vehicles/th_Phoenix1-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Vehicles/Phoenix1-1.png)
Phoenixes

Quintopotere

20-09-2005, 03:46 PM

Originally posted by Quintopotere@Sep 16 2005, 03:27 PM
Antother X-com thread... well, ok: I'd like to be a stupid android! :crazy:
And about the stats... just balanced...
Erm... where am I?

The Fifth Horseman

20-09-2005, 03:47 PM

Whoops, missed you. Will amend that ASAP.

Oh, and BTW... yes, none of you have been outfitted with weapons yet. I'm going for a lil shopping spree before I'll do that. :D

Also, the ground vehicles will be sold for spare parts. A couple stun-raids today and we'll easily afford two better bases... :w00t: (one as the main base, the other as a research facility with space for advanced Quantum, Biochem and Workshop, while the current one will be changed into a vehicle repair station (3x repair bays).

Toxik

20-09-2005, 04:36 PM

could you fix the name of my soldier to Toxik?it says toxix.Thanks

a1s

20-09-2005, 05:28 PM

in the waiting list.

SupSuper

20-09-2005, 10:41 PM

Originally posted by the_fifth_horseman@Sep 20 2005, 04:47 PM
Also, the ground vehicles will be sold for spare parts. A couple stun-raids today and we'll easily afford two better bases... :w00t: (one as the main base, the other as a research facility with space for advanced Quantum, Biochem and Workshop, while the current one will be changed into a vehicle repair station (3x repair bays).
Good thinking. Ground vehicles are worth crap, air vehicles are so much better ;)

The Fifth Horseman

21-09-2005, 01:26 PM

Toxik: Sorry. I've been misreading your name all the time... LOL I'll fix that soon.
SupSuper: Seems that my "idea" has failed mightily, so I'll have to stick with the internal screenshot device. BTW, it seems it can do more then only 10 screenhot files...

Here is the update:

All of your personality constructs and tissue samples (or, in case of androids, blueprints) have been stored. In case of death, you can be resurrected easily, but if you prefer to get a new character because you think your initial one sucks, just tell me, so that after you die I'll try to find you a better recruit then you got the last time.

We have paid to ally with Mutant Alliance and S.E.L.F. That will slightly increase the number of mutants and androids joining in the ranks.

A little shopping spree never goes wrong, I say. AP, Stun & Incendiary grenades, Machine Guns w/ammo, Auto Cannons w/ammo (all types), Stun Grapples, Mind Benders, Medi Kits, Motion Scanners, Sniper Rifles w/ammo. I have sold the ground vehicles and bought some passenger and cargo modules.

Research on Dimension Gates and Bio Transport Module has been started.

Began some stun-the-ally raids to get money for funding the construction of new bases.

The first three raids are against Government facility (if they gave us more funds, we wouldn't have to do that, afterall), Super, Reamus and Beef have to stay at the base since there were only 11 stun grapples in the armory. Bobbin, EoF and Toxik are team leaders additionally equipped with motion scanners.

Note, that these raids do not really net any of you any XP. You'll have your fair share when it comes to fighting the actual aliens.
3 Raid missions bring us 4043 cargo. Most of the loot are guns and ammo, with some Elerium being a rather neat bonus.

Allied with Psyke... and raided them. Teams and troops are the same as when we raided Government (don't worry, Sup, Reamus, Beef - you are in for next mission so that you won't feel bored). 3 raids bring 1411 cargo, but again most of it are guns and ammunition (altough 4 Psiclones dropped by as well).

Team 3 (Toxik, Abi & Punch) made quite an achievment in the third raid. We have ended up near a Psyke-held residential buildings, and every one knows how hard these are to clean up. Team 1 & 2 took the gravlift, while Team 3 went for the fire exit. They somehow had so much luck that instead of fruitlessly camping in there, they have knocked out all of the Psyke troops, thus completing the mission all by themselves.

After that, I have sold some obsolete weapons (who needs 40 Machine Guns, anyway?) and the psiclones, earning a healthy profit of 70 k. This leaves our funds at 145 k, which isn't yet a sufficient amount to furnish out a new base, let alone two of them (and I also have in mind to upgrade the vehicles and buy some more Valkyries and stuff). So today I'll do a few raids more against the Government. Danny, Abi & Punch are staying at home this time round, so that Super, Reamus and Beef can get some action.

I think that 6-9 stun raids on Government and about 3 on Marsec will give us muuuch more loot. After this, just for training, we will raid the Cult of Sirius temple (we should get a lot of guns, ammo and explosives from the previous raids), with one objective in mind: Maximum Mayhem! :evil:
All the soldiers will participate, don't fear you'll be left out. If we get out unscathed enough, there will be a second raid on the other Sirius temple, but this time with loot in mind more then destruction (psiclones - they have a lot).

Bobbin Threadbare

21-09-2005, 01:45 PM

Screenshots?

The Fifth Horseman

21-09-2005, 01:59 PM

When there will be some real action. :D
Stun Raids don't quite classify...

Kearnsy

21-09-2005, 02:15 PM

Plans sound great Horseman!! :ok:
Missions, funding, research, equipment all are looking great.
Im a veteran of UFO but only played Apoc for a little bit.
Lets just say Im glad that you're at the helm and not me!! :D
Looking foreward to the temple missions

SupSuper

21-09-2005, 02:37 PM

Keep up the good work Horseman :ok:

I never liked Apoc much since I didn't like the concept of having to deal with stuff other than aliens and having to pay for the damage :P

Bobbin Threadbare

21-09-2005, 03:00 PM

I don't like Apoc either. But when someone else is playing for you. w00t!

The Fifth Horseman

22-09-2005, 10:42 AM

I have a report an a sh*tload of screenshots, but at the moment can't upload them - this crappy PC cannot read CD-RW discs.

Began building a new base, Deluxe class. Also, SupSuper's character is officially nicknamed Duke Super due to his incredible luck and destructive abilities (you'll find out in the report).

+EDIT: Report added+

Note: I'm adding screenshots as I go, if some are not in the post, check again after a couple minutes. Currently I'm putting in the IMG and URL tags for the mission screenshots.

Allright, the internal screenshot maker works, BUT any screens it captures absolutely lack red channel. And no, I have _no_ idea how to fix that.

Waitamoment...

The problem appeared only when using Dos32A, restoring the Dos4GW executables solved it all. Also, the very same action ended the crashes in DosBox (altough the game runs noticeably slower now). My comment: Ooorgle. (read: "as if it could not get any weirder").

That means I'll be using DosBox now, at least for Abandonia Apocalypse

Seems like the stun raids actually cause some skill increases after all, altough minimal ones (1-2 pixels). All the more reason to carry them out.

We're raiding Government again, Danny, Abi & Punch stay at home. Punch was at least supposed to, but he hitched a ride on the Valkyrie somehow anyway. Well, he'll be packing all the loot into the craft, then.
Bobbin, EoF and Toxik are leading the teams, we're raiding 9 times.
The raids are rather succesful, including one that gave us 46 points for the captured gear. Must be some real nice & shiny stuff there...
Total cargo: 10630. Now that's a really big pile of guns. Elerium too, I think...

Checked the gear. Jawdroppus maximus! Just look at the screenies... Rarely do we see so much guns and ammo, especially 15 minutes of game-time after the beginning. :evil:
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Wootguns.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Wootguns.png) http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Wootguns2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Wootguns2.png) http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_WootElerium.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/WootElerium.png)
We've also got some serious quantity of Elerium, bringing our supply to over 9k. The magazine is chock-full and we have lots of redundant weaponry. Selling the extra guns and most of the Elerium brings our stores down to a reasonable level and gives us...

<treble>

235 860 credits!

Enough to furnish a nice new base...

And so, Base 1 was renamed Abandonia, and we have set up a second one called "Reloaded". Reloaded will be ready by the end of the week, and will be equipped with...
- 4 Security Stations surrounding the access lift to ward off any intrusion
- 7 Living Quarters, accommodating up to 70 personnel total, thus housing a huge number of soldiers and scientists at once
- 4 Training Areas, to train up to 40 soldiers at once
- 1 Psi-gym for all those psychically gifted individuals
- 2 medical bays, so that no matter how critical disaster we suffer, there will be no shortage of expert medical help
- 2 Alien Containments, to hold as many live alien specimens as we will find neccesary
- 9 Stores, providing space for incredible amounts of goods
- 2 Quantum Physics labolatories, so that the research of alien craft and devices will progress at a double rate
- 2 Biochemistry labolatories, thus providing us with means to dissect any aliens we capture, dead or alive, as soon as we get them into the base
- 2 Workshops, so that when we begin to manufacture our own gear, the production will be fast and efficient.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Bases/th_Base2-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Bases/Base2-1.png)

Wow, that's a _luxury_ base, allright. It should be, since it costed us 226 000 credits (exact quota), and that's most of what we got from the raids.

The new base will be ready by the end of the week. Until then, I'm building another Living Quarters and two Stores at Abandonia.

We'll do some more raids, so that we can begin building a _third_ base - this is neccesary, trust me. There we'll have prepared a lot of space for Advanced labolatories and workshop facilities, so that we can build them as soon as we design them (and have an additional trinity working right away). I'm split between three buildings for that purpose, but I think I'll figure out the best one shortly.

But that later.
This is your equipment, folks:

Reamus (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Reamus2.png)
Punch 999 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Punch2.png)
PredjuiceSucks (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Predjuice2.png)
Kearnsy (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Kearnsy2.png)
Toxik (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Toxik2.png)
The Chosen (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Thechosen2.png)
SupSuper (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/SupSuper2.png)
Skumpaq (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Skumpaq2.png)
Eagle of Fire (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Eagle2.png)
Doubler (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Doubler2.png)
Danny 252 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Danny2.png)
Bobbin (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Bobbin2.png)
BeefontheBone (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Beefonthebone2.png)
Abi79 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Abi2.png)

Together, you are packing about as much destructive potential as a small army. More then needed to kick Sirius behind...

Pack into the Valkyrie, boys and girls. It's time to dance. :evil:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Raidthesirius.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Raidthesirius.png)

Codename: Mayhem begins.

Team 1: Bobbin, Danny, Chosen, Kearnsy, Beef
Purpose: All-round Combat Squad
You are the basic combat unit. Keep the enemy busy and protect the other squads.

Team 2: Eagle, Reamus
Purpose: Snipers
Nail the bad guys with accurate fire. You are additionally the field medics, with two medi-kits each.

Team 3: Predjuice, Toxik, Abi, Punch, SupSuper
Purpose: Death Commando
KILL, MAIM AND BURN! You have the biggest guns around, so make some good use of them! Accuracy is secondary, Destrcution primary!

Team 4: Doubler, Skumpaq
Purpose: Suppression Fire
You both are double-wielding some nasty firepower. Just keep shooting, you'll hit something - eventually.

Mission begins at 12:15:19

12:15:37 : First enemy contact. Sirius cultist spotted by Skumpaq. Another cultist comes behind the first, but our shooty duo takes them out before they hurt anyone.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission1-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission1-2.png)

12:15:46 : Reamus decides to bomb one of the exits, with a 5-sec delay charge. The bomb goes off... With hardly any results. Reamus decides to place another one...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission1-8.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission1-8.png)
12:16:01 : Doubler and Skumpaq encounter more cultists.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission1-9.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission1-9.png)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission1-10.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission1-10.png)
12:16:04 : Skumpaq receives a critical wound. Meanwhile, SupSuper decides to test out his new boomy ammo on the beautiful marble columns of an audience hall...

12:16:07 : Skumpaq and Doubler managed to annihilate the idiots that came in their way. Meanwhile, Reamus' second bomb goes off with some results, but nothing too extraordinary. He's pissed at this - a lot. SupSuper's display of violence does not go unnoticed, as a cultist comes into the marble hall.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission1-12.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission1-12.png)
12:16:09 : Super has wasted the fool. Seems he got a bit trigger-happy...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission1-14.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission1-14.png)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission1-16.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission1-16.png)
12:16:21 : Several more cultists came that way and were toasted thanks to Sup and his guns.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission1-17.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission1-17.png)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission1-18.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission1-18.png)
12:16:23 : The combat squad enters another of the halls, while Sup continues his mayhem in the main hall.

And then... "All Hostile units have fled the combat zone". Dang.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission1-End.png)
Score 163, Super and Doubler are promoted to squaddies.

This did not anywhere satisfy our blood-thirst - we'll carry out some more raids, immediately.

(continued below...)

The Fifth Horseman

22-09-2005, 11:22 AM

Codename: Mayhem II.

We're sending in a kill-team this time.
SupSuper: You've proven your worth last mission, so train some more. Beatuiful explosions, by the way.
Doubler, Skumpaq: You're both rock-hard. Fight some more.
Toxik: You're to scan the area so that the rest will know where the foes are.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission2-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission2-2.png)
12:15:25 : First contact. Three cultists at once. Super will deal with them, others drop into cover.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission2-4.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission2-4.png)
12:15:51 : More of the buggers came. Super kicks some serious behind, with some supporting fire by Toxik.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission2-5.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission2-5.png)
12:16:05 : According to Toxik's scanner, more of the cultists are in the tunnels. Our one-man-army (Aka SupSuper) will go first.

Super encounters two cultists in the underground and puts their short, violent lives to end. They were the last here, and the mission ends, uncovering Super to have been promoted to a squad leader.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission2-6.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission2-6.png)

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission2-End.png)

Super decides he's so tough he can take all the Sirius on by himself, just after he gets more of the wonderful explosive ammunition. So Predjuice and Chosen give him a few spare clips they've got. Let it rip, Super!

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_DukeSuper.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/DukeSuper.png)
By the way, Super seems to be quite a brave guy... Or maybe just simply headstrong. :bleh:

Codename: Duke Super

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_DukeSuper-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/DukeSuper-1.png)
12:15:19 : Duke Super enters the building

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_DukeSuper-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/DukeSuper-2.png)
12:15:31 : Duke Super makes a new entrance into a room. Four cultists enter and get mashed.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_DukeSuper-4.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/DukeSuper-4.png)
12:16:49 : Duke Super searches the building and finds two more cultists in the underground. Another joins in and quickly drops out as explosive bullets tear into his flesh.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/DukeSuper-End.png)
The building was cleared in one and a half minute. SupSuper comments: "Damn, I'm good. Hail to the king, baby."

Victory for SupSuper, who took on seven cultists and killed them all, without even taking a scratch. This shows he's really harder then steel. By the way, he's improved 11%.

But that's not enough. We still have a lot of ammo to waste, afterall...

Codename: Overkill

Troops: Danny, Chosen, Predjuice, Doubler, Kearnsy, Skumpaq, Toxik, Beef.

Mission: Just shoot, shoot and shoot. This is a live training range...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission3-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission3-1.png)
12:15:38 : Team 2 covers the door...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission3-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission3-2.png)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission3-3.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission3-3.png)
12:15:46 : While Team 1 decides to make their own entry! Predjuice knocks two huge holes in the walls, and they find some Sirius cultists!

The team gets gassed. Chosen is knocked out. Team 2 enters the corridor and gets shot at.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission3-4.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission3-4.png)
12:16:34 : Predjuice follows to find the source of the attack. Two cultists. "You messed with the wrong mechanoid" :ranting:, he shouts and fires at them with phosphor-filled incendiary bolts. Looks like one was carrying some explosives. Bits of cultist are falling all over the room.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission3-5.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission3-5.png)
12:16:54 : Predjuice finds another cultist. Fire didn't finish the poor misguided fellow, though. The android follows him and finds the weak human cowering in fear.

"Cultist, meet the missile. Missile... meet the cultist." :evil:

BOOM.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission3-End.png)
New promotions: Chosen and Predjuice became Squaddies.

In these raids, we have scored 10 Psiclones and a couple useless guns. +46k cash.

This all has happened within 15 minutes of the game-time. We're busy at the beginning. But CoS is at -16 k of cash now, which will severely limit their offensive abilities.

Current ACTIVE SOLDIERS (14)
Reamus (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Reamus3.png)
Punch 999 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Punch3.png)
PredjuiceSucks (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Predjuice3.png)
Kearnsy (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Kearnsy3.png)
Toxik (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Toxik3.png)
The Chosen (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Thechosen3.png)
SupSuper (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/SupSuper3.png)
Skumpaq (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Skumpaq3.png)
Eagle of Fire (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Eagle3.png)
Doubler (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Doubler3.png)
Danny 252 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Danny3.png)
Bobbin (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Bobbin3.png)
BeefontheBone (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Beefonthebone3.png)
Abi79 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Abi3.png)

PS. I didn't manage to take screenshots of some of the better actions. I keep forgetting that screenshot is not ALT+F5 but CTRL+F5. Will try to improve.

BeefontheBone

22-09-2005, 11:53 AM

Hey! Can my name be one word, please? :D

I might go back to Apoc now - never tried stun raiding my allies before...

The Fifth Horseman

22-09-2005, 11:56 AM

Ok, Beef. You got it. :ok: :ok:

Abi79

22-09-2005, 12:18 PM

I might return to X-Com 3 also but first ... this is what I get when I look at your post:
Originally posted by This came from The seventh Horseman
12:16:01 : Doubler and Skumpaq encounter more cultists.

Mission1-9.png
Notice Mission1-9.png ? I reloaded the web page, but still the same thing happened. :( Anyway could you use more dialog ? I like to know what the soldiers "think" .

BTW, I should try your "stun the ally" someday. It seems that this way I could play at Superhuman. :party:

The Fifth Horseman

22-09-2005, 12:32 PM

OK, will use more dialog from now on.

Notice Mission1-9.png ? I reloaded the web page, but still the same thing happened. These are "memory tags" for me to know where and to which screenshots I should put the links. Mission 1 is now illustrated, I'll do it for the other three in short order.

+EDIT+ Just fininshed. Have fun reading... +/EDIT+

Bobbin Threadbare

22-09-2005, 01:00 PM

I must say, I'm a little annoyed. I didn't even attack one little piece of alien scum.

BeefontheBone

22-09-2005, 01:05 PM

Well, neither did anyone else - no aliens have been met yet. They don't show up for a few game hours yet; we're just occupying ourselves and making some money :D

Bobbin Threadbare

22-09-2005, 01:08 PM

You know what I mean. Attack our opponent.

The Fifth Horseman

22-09-2005, 01:34 PM

Actually, to my knowledge, the aliens will show up in under 30 minutes of game time.

Meanwhile, Bobbin will be put in the next Kill-Team, with some heavier firepower too. Expect the report tomorrow to carry news of our first alien contact! (read = how the poor, hopeless aliens didn't even manage to get a single shot on us)

Stun-Raids on Marsec and Megapol will be carried out, AS WELL as on Government. We're raiding for 9-10K of loot each time, since Reloaded will not be complete for some time yet.

Kearnsy

22-09-2005, 01:36 PM

Patience young Bobbin, :angel:
When Team 1 gets going well make those aliens pay!!!!!

btw great mission reports and screenshots Horseman!!! :ok: :ok:

The Fifth Horseman

22-09-2005, 01:40 PM

I just found out that we've already used up 1/5th of the Abandonia Apocalypse free account. Whoopsie...

I'll see if I could set up one-two more accounts. This also means that every few days I'll have to clean out past soldier statistics (don't worry, I'm storing a copy of all this stuff on my own PC @ home).

Bobbin Threadbare

22-09-2005, 02:35 PM

Alright, I'm in the next kill team. :) Thanks Horseman.
I'm ready to kick some alien bu-- wait I'll save the forums some time by writing behind instead.

I'm ready to kick some alien behind! :w00t:

TheChosen

22-09-2005, 02:56 PM

Codename: Mayhem begins.

Team 1: Bobbin, Danny, Chosen, Kearnsy, Beef
Purpose: All-round Combat Squad
You are the basic combat unit. Keep the enemy busy and [protect the other squads].

Great! I got a nice job: Human shield

*Cafeteria*

Predi: Feeling okay?
*Tc coughs a couple of smoke clouds*
Tc (With a voice of an really stressed human who has smoken 10 packs of cigarettes: Yes, im fine!

The Fifth Horseman

22-09-2005, 03:13 PM

Cheer up, pal. There are few hybrids who could survive several hundred kilos of concrete falling onto their heads. You are quite lucky in that aspect...

a1s

22-09-2005, 03:21 PM

how do you manage to loot so much? I usualy get only 40-60 units per raid. is there some special kind of building I sould try?

BeefontheBone

22-09-2005, 04:01 PM

He's doing like 9 stun raids in a row on the government and marsec (or megapol - one or the other) and a few raids on the CoS, so it adds up.

The Fifth Horseman

22-09-2005, 04:32 PM

The stun raids on Government and Psyke are probably the best. Sirius _can_ be raided with only stun grapples, but it's a very difficult game then - I don't recommend doing it unless with top class troops.
I haven't raided Marsec or Megapol yet, but I expect to get a lot of weapons from doing that. You have to raid corporations with high net-worth and few buildings, that way the loot concentration is highest.

a1s

22-09-2005, 04:32 PM

Originally posted by the first long one
3 Raid missions bring us 4043 cargo. Most of the loot are guns and ammo, with some Elerium being a rather neat bonus.

that's about 1400 a raid.

SupSuper

22-09-2005, 05:17 PM

Originally posted by the_fifth_horseman@Sep 22 2005, 12:22 PM
Super decides he's so tough he can take all the Sirius on by himself, just after he gets more of the wonderful explosive ammunition. So Predjuice and Chosen give him a few spare clips they've got. Let it rip, Super!

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_DukeSuper.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/DukeSuper.png)
By the way, Super seems to be quite a brave guy... Or maybe just simply headstrong. :bleh:

Codename: Duke Super

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_DukeSuper-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/DukeSuper-1.png)
12:15:19 : Duke Super enters the building

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_DukeSuper-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/DukeSuper-2.png)
12:15:31 : Duke Super makes a new entrance into a room. Four cultists enter and get mashed.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_DukeSuper-4.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/DukeSuper-4.png)
12:16:49 : Duke Super searches the building and finds two more cultists in the underground. Another joins in and quickly drops out as explosive bullets tear into his flesh.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/DukeSuper-End.png)
The building was cleared in one and a half minute. SupSuper comments: "Damn, I'm good. Hail to the king, baby."

Victory for SupSuper, who took on seven cultists and killed them all, without even taking a scratch. This shows he's really harder then steel. By the way, he's improved 11%.
WOOHOO I'm loving this, badass Duke Super, blowing up everything and then some! :Brain:

Keep up the good work :ok:

PrejudiceSucks

22-09-2005, 05:22 PM

Stun-raids on Marsec, please, we need a LOT of Marsec armour methinks. That's going to be a pretty good laugh when the CoS buildings get HE packed to the ground (as in actually level them).

Bwahaha. Prejudice sucks and so do your puny guards, CoS!

Mats

23-09-2005, 06:54 AM

Hmmm...OK, add me in as an android if you got one. Just put me in the waiting list with any stats and position you want. I think I'll have to start playing APOC to understand wht you're talking about.

///MJ

The Fifth Horseman

23-09-2005, 11:04 AM

that's about 1400 a raid.
That's raiding Government, allright. By the way, I'm raiding Luxury Apartments buildings, since they are fairly easy to clear.
WOOHOO I'm loving this, badass Duke Super, blowing up everything and then some! Today, you're in for a little ego triming. Altough your soldier has survived, he'll be out of comission for some time.
Stun-raids on Marsec, please, we need a LOT of Marsec armour methinks. You psychic or what? :blink: Read the report, buddy... 9 Marsec raids and 4 suits of Marsec Armor in the armory...
Hmmm...OK, add me in as an android if you got one. Just put me in the waiting list with any stats and position you want. I think I'll have to start playing APOC to understand wht you're talking about.
Ok.
<Scribbles in the notepad: Mats - Android - Bullet shield :evil:>
Just joking. Sure, come in.

Allright. Seeing as we have five wounded from our little war against Cult of Sirius (Chosen, Predjuice, Doubler, Skumpaq, Toxik), only two of whom are in any combat-acceptable state, the next raiding team will not include Chosen, Predjuice, Doubler and Skumpaq. Toxik seems in good shape as far as he goes. Super also goes, but without his duking accesories (No mayhem this time, bud). To get a little mor shooting training during the raids, Bobbin got double Stun Grapples for gear.

Oh, and Beef on the Bone has changed her name to Beef. Women...

Ah, right. The managment decided that since there is no risk of health on this mission, you are _all_ going to the field with only basic uniforms, no armor. That's also better since you'll be able to move around much faster.

We are raiding a Megapol arms factory that has been conveniently placed near our base.

The raid was quite quick, and the results are rather apalling - so few weapons that it makes me weep.

So we're going for Marsec next.

Six raids on Marsec gave us some loot, and judging by the fact that we have raided a weapons factory, there will be some nice big guns too. By the way, I ensured that Bobbin's character has been on the front combat line all the way through, blasting away at the security agents with his twin-wield Stun Grapples. Seems like it actually did him some good - his accuracy has increased fairly high.

The raids bore fruit. We got a large amount of guns, parts for two complete suits of Marsec Armor (the flying one!) along with some extras, two Mind shields, three Motion Scanners (these things are quite useful), not to mention a huge amount of MiniLaunchers with ammo. :evil: This looks even better now...

Duke Super continues to improve even further. I have a feeling he's attempting to become a super-trooper (like if I had anything agianst...).

The raids netted us more cash, and some neato equipment. So I'm carrying out three more. Wow, two Power Swords and another arsec suit... we're really lucky.

Well, time to rock & roll at the Sirius temple - again...
Kill-team: Bobbin, Kearnsy & Beef. All are equipped with motion scanners, medi-kits and double-wield Auto Cannons with 10 HE clips.

Bobbin (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Bobbin3b.png)
Beef (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Beef3b.png)
Kearnsy (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Kearnsy3b.png)

<Just before the front temple entrance>
Kearnsy: "So, what are we going to do?"
Beef: "Waste them, that's what we're gonna do."
Bobbin: "Yeah."
<Bobbin raises a gun>
Bobbin: "Feel the power, baby."
Beef: (sarcasm) "Yeah, riiiight..."
All: Go!

Codename: Killkillkill

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission4-3.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission4-3.png)
12:21:01 : Almost immediately after the entry, three cultists uncover themselves. I don't think there is any need to explain what happens to the poor buggers...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission4-4.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission4-4.png)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission4-5.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission4-5.png)
12:21:12 : At least two of them. Third manages to escape into underground!

Our team goes for the second part of the temple, when two Cultists pop out and begin shooting.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission4-6.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission4-6.png)
12:21:27 : And they brought in friends!

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission4-7.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission4-7.png)
12:21:32 : No way this is going to stop OUR force, naturally...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission4-9.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission4-9.png)
12:22:02 : No Cultist in sight, the team follows into the second part of the building. Bobbin starts firing from both guns, trying to force the enemy to uncover themselves.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission4-11.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission4-11.png)
12:22:19 : His actions quickly bear fruit, as a Sirius sniper begins firing at him. Bobbin runs in the direction from where the shots are coming and finds three further Cultists, whom he promptly dispatches.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission4-End.png)
Mission complete, all three teammates are promoted to Squaddies.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Alert1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Alert1.png) http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Alert1Site.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Alert1Site.png)
At 12:50, first live alien sighting is reported. We immediately gear up for the mission. Predjuice and Super take some serious war-ware from the magazines, Bobbin has twin Autocannons with Explosive, Kearnsy and Beef with AP ammo, the rest - twin Marsec MG's.

Codename: First Contact
Soldiers participating: Bobbin, Kearnsy, Predjuice, Beef, Danny, Eagle, Toxix, Abi, Punch, Reamus, and - naturally - "Duke" Super in a team all of his own.

It's an apartment block.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission5-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission5-2.png)
12:50:34 : Super wears his Marsec chestplate and begins scanning the area for some alien behind to kick.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission5-3.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission5-3.png)
12:50:59 : Team 1 spots an alien. Kick his behind!
Bobbin: "What the hell is that?"
Predjuice: "Doesn't matter. Kill it!"
They fail to hit it, but manage to score some serious property damage.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission5-5.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission5-5.png)
12:51:25 : Team 2 follows to the building where the alien was seen, and Super continues to fly around. Almost immediately, two finds a Brainsucker. Luckily, they manage to kill it outright.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission5-7.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission5-7.png)
12:51:31 : Then they find an Anthropod, and take the bugger down. Oddly, it seems to be protected by an energy shield of some sort...
Danny: "I don't know what this thing is, but what I'm sure of is that its dead as dust."

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission5-9.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission5-9.png)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission5-10.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission5-10.png)

12:51:52 : Super spots another Anthropod, coming out from the building that Team 2 _supposedly_ cleared a minute ago! He nukes it and goes to ground level to check if there are any more. Something chucks strange, exploding four-armed cross-shaped things at him, but the assailant is nowhere to be seen until suddenly...

"All hostile units have fled the combat zone". ('http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission5-11.png')

Beef: "Okay, guys, looks like we're going to work overtime..."

A quick check of surrounding buildings turns up no results. We're going back to the base.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission5-End.png)

Mission results: SupSuper Wounded, one Disruptor Cannon recovered (that's right!)

Current ACTIVE SOLDIERS (14)
Reamus (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Reamus4.png)
Punch 999 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Punch4.png)
PredjuiceSucks (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Predjuice4.png)
Kearnsy (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Kearnsy4.png)
Toxik (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Toxik4.png)
The Chosen (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/TheChosen4.png)
SupSuper (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/SupSuper4.png)
Skumpaq (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Skumpaq4.png)
Eagle of Fire (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Eagle4.png)
Doubler (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Doubler4.png)
Danny 252 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Danny4.png)
Bobbin (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Bobbin4.png)
Beef (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Beef4.png)
Abi79 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Abi4.png)

DECEASED (0)

IN QUEQUE (6)
Quintopotere
Fruit Pie Jones
A1s
Lonely Vazdru
Aristharus
Mats

This will be last update before the weekend. I'll try to get through the first week during that time, and you'll surely have a lot to read and see afterwards.

For example, we'll be doing the first round of vehicle upgrades, and buying some new, shiny Valkyries.

BTW, two questions to you as the players. First, would you accept a solution to the lack of recruits involving starting a new game, saving it and "cloning" the soldiers into AA game? Second, editing the save to get Stun Grapples for the entire team (& decreasing the cash appropriately, of course).

TheChosen

23-09-2005, 11:13 AM

I want some action!

The Fifth Horseman

23-09-2005, 11:19 AM

As soon as the meds patch you up. I don't want a lousy pistol-armed Cultist to blow your brains out.

Oh, right... Would you people accept lower screenshot resolution (resize to 320x240) or JPG screenshots? The current ones are kind of fat in terms of filesize, and reducing it would allow us to fit more of this stuff on a single Photobucket account.

SupSuper

23-09-2005, 11:54 AM

Damn, I got seriously wounded. Though my bravery's reached max. Have no fear, SupSuper is here ;)

I think it's best to use JPG screenshots than resizing them. Or you could just use http://www.imageshack.us

BeefontheBone

23-09-2005, 01:35 PM

Are you playing on top difficulty? I don't think I've ever seen a disruptor cannon, though I've only played the easiest setting and never bothered to get past the second week or so.

when I said one word, I meant BeefontheBone rather than Beef on the Bone. Beef is fine though.

The Fifth Horseman

23-09-2005, 01:37 PM

Are you playing on top difficulty?
Nope. Bottom one.
I don't think I've ever seen a disruptor cannon, though I've only played the easiest setting and never bothered to get past the second week or so.
For me, they began popping up in Week 2. What is unusual this time round was that the alien also had a Personal Shield, and these things usually don't appear until late in the game...

BeefontheBone

23-09-2005, 01:43 PM

Bottom as in bottom of the list, but top as in hardest, right?

Bobbin Threadbare

23-09-2005, 02:13 PM

Yay for squaddies! :w00t:

The Fifth Horseman

23-09-2005, 02:14 PM

Bottom as in lowest, top as in top of the list.
In other words, Beginner. You can recognize the city map on the base screens as the Beginner difficulty...

Kearnsy

23-09-2005, 02:45 PM

Yay for squaddies!

Yay!!!

I'd say nice job to all of team 1. :ok:

Time to go relax in the quarters and admire my squadie badge! :D

Toxik

23-09-2005, 03:53 PM

Originally posted by the_fifth_horseman@Sep 23 2005, 04:14 PM
Bottom as in lowest, top as in top of the list.
In other words, Beginner. You can recognize the city map on the base screens as the Beginner difficulty...
*completely stunned*
you mean you got disruptor cannon and personal shield in the very first mission on the begginer?
All I EVER got was few brainsuckers and one Antropod armed with brains. launcher

The Fifth Horseman

23-09-2005, 04:01 PM

It seems that the game is adjusting Aliens' equimpent basing on how good the player is doing. And boy, we did score a couple thousand points already...

Bobbin Threadbare

23-09-2005, 04:27 PM

Originally posted by Kearnsy@Sep 24 2005, 12:45 AM
Yay for squaddies!

Yay!!!

I'd say nice job to all of team 1. :ok:

Time to go relax in the quarters and admire my squadie badge! :D
Or put it in your sig. Like I did. Along with my Squaddie badge for Abandonia Unknown.

The Fifth Horseman

26-09-2005, 12:34 PM

I have a report and a load of screens again (6 more missions complete - we're in Day 6 by now!), but the main office is closed here and I can't read CD-RW discs on this PC. You'll have to wait until tomorrow, sorry.

A short summary:
-Kearnsy dead & resurrected
-Almost entire recruitment queque cleaned, except Vazdru (seems we aren't too lucky on getting Hybrid recruits, sorry)
-Abandonia Reloaded up and running, we're moving shortly
-Scientists working like hell in both bases.
-More fic snippets. I had a lot of chuckle writing these, and I hope you'll have some too - especially about the videogame Super is playing in the barracks...
-We now have FOUR Valkyries
-Most UFO's that entered our airspace never made it back home
-I created a small resurrection sampler/manager program, but it needs some additional work before we can call it done.

I think I can unlock the android training ability, and might just do that sooner or later.

Kearnsy

26-09-2005, 01:16 PM

Noooooooooooooooo!!! :cry:
Alien scum will pay!!!!!!! :evil:

The Fifth Horseman

26-09-2005, 01:21 PM

Don't worry, you were resurrected fairly quickly. This means that you already have kicked some behind in your new incarnation.

Danny252

26-09-2005, 05:54 PM

Do you play Realtime or turn based? Also, how do you get to any sort of manageable speed in dosbox?

Mats

27-09-2005, 08:49 AM

He's playing realtime, and I don't think he's using DosBox, why don't you check out the other posts, those will explain exactly what he's doing.

///MJ

Quintopotere

27-09-2005, 11:01 AM

Originally posted by the_fifth_horseman@Sep 26 2005, 12:34 PM

-Almost entire recruitment queque cleaned

I think I can unlock the android training ability, and might just do that sooner or later.
Finally :Brain:

I was just waiting for some action... and seems that i'll not be just a stupid android! :D

a1s

27-09-2005, 11:17 AM

hate to dissapoint you but androids kick behind during the first week(s) :max:

The Fifth Horseman

27-09-2005, 12:06 PM

Do you play Realtime or turn based?Realtime. It's much more intense that way.
Also, how do you get to any sort of manageable speed in dosbox? Frameskip=1 helps a little, and one can get used to DB being a bit laggy.

I tried a few things in respect of the screenshots. JPEG's and resizing included. The final conclusion was that they did no good. About all I can do with the soldier/vehicle screens (they are usually double the filesize of most mission screens) is to crop them a bit, so that only stats and equipment are shown (50% decrease), or even right down to only the stats (75% decrease). Which is what I will do.

Now checking out score... (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Whythealiensweresopissed.png) 7,5 k. In under an hour of game time from start. No doubt the aliens were so pissed that they sent in their very best troops.

Vehicle upgrades: Buying three more Valkyries, two Medium Weapon Controls, two SD Special and two SD Elite engines and two Janitor arrays has costed us 257 k - more then two third of our funds. But considering the firepower boost, it's worth it. The transport Valkyrie and a second one get the Special engines, other two get Elite and the Phoenixes receive the leftover Turbos. The transport Valkyrie is renamed to Valkyrie Transporter, the two with SD Elite engines to Valkyrie Fighters. The Fighters receive fit of twin Janitor missile launchers as well as the Weapon Controls. The total accuracy is 96% - they hit with 24 of 25 shots.

As an afterthought, I'm also buying three Light Weapon Controls and selling some spare Bolter laser guns that were rusting in the magazines. The total transaction result costs us further 2,5 k.

The Phoenixes and the Interceptor Valkyrie receive the Light Weapon Controls, slightly upping their accuracy.

We're selling the Heavy Launchers. These things are damn unwieldy, and we already have the less cumbersome Mini Launchers. They don't have as much hitting power, but compensate with longer lasting ammo supply.

<X-Com base. In last 20 minutes everybody was trying to relax a bit after the last battle, even SupSuper, who despite having been chained to the bed (otherwise he'd go out to the town to drink and get into bar brawls - not recommended in his state!) is busy playing some old video game called "Duke Nukem 666: Duke takes on Hell". Suddenly everybody is startled by a warning siren.>
A voice calls from the intercomm: Attention, all teams! All capable agents report to the main briefing hall immediately! We have a situation, code red!
Code red! This means that an alien has been found!
Chaos erupts. In the middle of madness that ensued ("where is my gun? These are your pants? Turn off the damn TV! Where is my ammo?! This damn cable got stuck in my power socket!") and people running in about every direction possible (if not for the gravity, they would be running onto the walls and ceiling too), Beef calmly stands up from one of the tables. Right after returning from the mission, she took apart her guns and finished cleaning them just a minute before the alert. At the moment, she is the only person in the base who is actually ready for the mission.
Eying the chaos around her with disgust, she calmly says:
Beef: "I told you guys. Overtime. What's so damn unexpected about this?"
And then enthusiastically runs away to the briefing hall.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Alert2site.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Alert2site.png)
13:15 : Alien spotted! Seems that someone found the escapees from previous mission. If any Anthropods are there, we want to capture their shield systems intact - all teammates are equipped with two Stun Grenades each. Predjuice stays at home, since he isn't quite known for his ability to carry out missions not involving mass destruction. Besides, it seems someone with a sick sense of humour has welded a cable to his power socket while he was recharging...

Soldiers on duty (9): Bobbin, Danny, Eagle, Kearnsy, Toxik, Abi, Punch, Reamus, Beef.
They are grouped in 3 teams of 3, separated exactly in the listed order.

Our mission building is a Corporate HQ, which means that our aliens are trapped, as there is only one - front - exit from the building.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission6-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission6-1.png)
13:16:14 : Our teams enter through the front door. Team 3 will stay and guard the entrance, while 1 and 2 will check the side rooms.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission6-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission6-2.png)
13:17:36 : Just as teams 1 and 2 completed the sweep of the lower floor and were heading towards the gravlift, an alien descended down! It's an Anthropod, so he will have the shield system.

13:17:38 : Team 3 ducks into cover, but Beef with her typical stubborn attidute stops halfway through, to chuck some Stun Grenades onto the alien and immediately after that starts running towards the rest of Team 3.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission6-4.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission6-4.png)
13:17:40 : The alien has shot Beef, critically wounding her. He must PAY!!!
Team 2 is approaching the aliens' location to douse the creature with sleeping gas. Abi is the first one to arrive, so she prescribes two doses. The team withdraws to avoid getting a taste of their own medicine.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission6-7.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission6-7.png)
13:17:46 : Kearnsy is shot in the back by the monster, and unfortunately dies on the spot. Eagle, Reamus and Punch are chucking more grenades at the creature. Eagle throws hers wrong, and inhales some of the gas, but keeps standing. The alien collapses.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission6-End.png)

This was a poor mission, as for defeating one alien we lost a solider. Rest in peace, Kearnsy. At least, for now...

DECEASED (1)
Kearnsy (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Kearnsygrave.png)

To the base, the Valkyrie has dragged in another D-Cannon and one personal shield.

A couple hours later, Cult of Sirius came knocking at our door with a bill for 4 370$ worth of property damage (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Siriusnerve.png). What nerve!
Our response? "Sod. Off."

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Day1Ufos.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Day1Ufos.png)

22:05:00 : Five UFO's enter our airspace, three scouts and two probes. We send in our air force, and after a short battle four UFO's are down and the fifth is, well, everywhere - in little pieces. Our vehicles suffered some light damage. The Valkyrie Transporter gathers the remains of the four alien vessels and returns to base.

Day 3 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Day1Summary.png)

The day went peacefully for most part. Almost everybody have recovered from their wounds, altough Eagle could use some more time at the medbay to get fully fixed up.

14:15:00 : And it looked like today would pass without problems... UFO incursion. Two Probes, three Scouts.

Base-wide alert. Full team must get on Valkyrie Transporter - immediately. Eagle is in relatively good shape now, so we'll let her come for the mission too.

Chosen hasn't got too much muscle, so he won't be able to carry two Autocannons. I'm giving him one, but with a decent complement of extra ammo. "Duke" Super will also be in for this mission, ready to do some serious havoc.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Day2Ufos.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Day2Ufos.png)
One scout manages to get away. Phoenix 2 destroys another. Third is getting mashed by Valkyrie Interceptor 2.

Phoenix 1 destroys one of the Probes, while Valkyrie Interceptor downs the Scout it was chasing. The second Probe falls prey to Valkyrie Fighter 1 shortly after. Valkyrie Transporter will collect the crashed Scout and then perform a pre-emptive check of the buildings around the area of UFOs' operation. After the Transporter returns to the base with UFO wreckage, we're replacing one of the Transport Modules with a Bio-Transport unit. This forces Eagle, Doubler and Toxik to switch to one of the Phoenixes for transport.

Checking the three apartment blocks at the southwest of the city yields no results. It seems that the aliens did not drop anything there.

We're checking near the other dimension gate, then...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Northerncity.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Northerncity.png)
Bingo! The first slums belonging to SELF came up with an infestation!

The Fifth Horseman

27-09-2005, 12:44 PM

We're splitting in two teams of five, one of four and Duke Super will go on his own.

Codename: Debug II

Soldiers on the mission: Bobbin, Danny, Chosen, Predjuice, Eagle, Doubler, Jones, Skumpaq, Toxik, Abi, Punch, Super, Reamus, Beef, Alpha.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission9-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission9-1.png)
As you can see from the screenshot, this is one of the few types of slums that is relatively easy to clear out. Aliens won't be able to escape it either, unless over the corpses of the whole team.

Team 2 guards the gravlift, while 1 and 3 will scout the area. Super is floating near Team 2.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission9-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission9-2.png)
14:18:28 : Team 2 spots a lone Anthropod. A shootout begins, ending in the only way possible - death of the alien.

Team 1 and 3 are sweeping the territory, while Super wants to knock off the roof of the gravlift tower. Unfortunately, he forgot that he isn't carrying any explosives powerful enough for the job.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission9-7.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission9-7.png)
14:19:29 : Team 2 finds a number of aliens coming out of the gravlift, and promptly destroys them all. 1 and 3 finish the sweep and are coming to the gravlift area to begin clearing the building. Super decides that he will go to Predjuice and ask him to lend one of his explosives.

Then a Multiworm comes down the lift. Super assisted in the critters annihilation, but one of the Hyperworms managed to bite a chunk of him. He still managed to survive, none the less.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission9-End.png)
Predjuice promoted to Sergeant, Punch to a Squaddie.

It seems that we have managed to capture some live specimens. The biochem boys (and girls) will be happy to hear that they will finally have something to cut up.

We're checking the other SELF building, just to make sure. Guess what... yup, more gribblies.

Codename: Debug III

Soldiers: Same as last mission.

We got the street-and-walkway map. An easy one, again.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission10-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission10-2.png)
14:18:36 : Super starts to increase altitude, to give use an overhead view of the area. Team 1 is going towards the walkway, while 2 and 3 are covering the sides.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission10-3.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission10-3.png)
Team 2 spots a Brainsucker. The thing is coming towards Team 3, who manage to take it down. A Multiworm is following in the suckers' steps, though. Super moves into a position where he could give ranged support to the third team.

As Team 1 is moving over the walkway, they spot a Multiworm Egg. Danny and Beef holster their guns and take out the stun grapples to neatly net the creature for research.

All doesn't go as planned, though. The thing extends a tube and begins to shoot Beef. She gets critically wounded. In a last ditch attempt, she pulls out the pins of the two stun grenades she was carrying, knocking out herself, Danny and the egg-creature.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission10-End.png)

Toxik was promoted to Squaddie.

Beef was badly wounded (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Beefbarelyalive.png), but the rest of the team were close enough to give her some first aid - she will recover. This time she has barely escaped death, half a minute longer and the team would be packing her into a bodybag.

We're fitting Super with a full Marsec suit. He's a bit too sluggish in Megapol with Marsec chestplate.

Rest of the day passes with no alerts. Seems that we managed to prevent the aliens from deploying any more of their forces.

Day 6 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Day3Summary.png)

Beef has fully recovered.

The traning and labolatory facilities at Reloaded have been completed.

A recruit arrives at the crew quarters. His name is Kearnsy. Yup - the man is back, in flesh and blood!

At Reloaded, research begins on Alien Genetic Structure, Spitter Authopsy and Personal Shields.

Abandonia base. At 1 AM, Bobbin wakes up hungry so decides to go to the mess room and check if there is anything edible around. Suddenly, he sees someone sitting in front of a public computer terminal. Coming closer, he finds out that this person is Beef, holding a double-size mug of ultra-strong recaf (multi-purpose: drink, insecticide, paint stripper...) in one hand and furiously punching into the keyboard with other.
Bobbin: "Have you been up for the whole night?"
Beef: "Yup."
Bobbin: "What are you doing?"
Beef: "Checking the logs for abnormal corporate activity."
Bobbin: "Why? What can you learn from this?"
Beef: "Haven't you noticed, that the aliens were sitting quiet for the last few days?"
Bobbin: "Yes, I did. But what does that have to do with what are you doing?"
Beef: "I have a bad feeling about this, it's like a calm before a really big storm. I'm making sure that none of the corps got infiltrated."
Bobbin: "...And?"
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Beefchecking.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Beefchecking.png)
Beef: "Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I triple-checked everything. Just as if they vanished."
Bobbin: "Maybe they got cold or something like that..."
Beef: "Yeah, right, and I'm Saint Sabbat. I think they're cooking up something nasty, and we better get ready for whatever it might be."
Bobbin: "Cooking? I doubt they can manage anything worse then my aunt did..."
Beef: "What are you trying to be, funny? Don't. Just don't."

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Day6Ufos.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Day6Ufos.png)
06:30:00 : Beef was right, the bugs are coming back. Full base alert, everyone is to be ready in the hangars within next two minutes. Mats and Quintopotere decide to take Marsec armor (altough Quintopotere finds himself without a helmet to go with the armor, so he just grabs a Megapol one), gear up with Plasma Guns, two Explosive packages each and an ungodly number of grenades. Looks like they want to bomb the aliens from up high - not that I mind...

The incursion is again made up from two Probes and three Scouts.

A battle begins in the skies above Mega-Primus. One of the Probes is shot down by Transporter valkyrie. A scout beams stuff down to its content Sirius temple and bugs out into the dimension gate before we can reach it. Valkyrie Fighter 2 destroys the other Probe and two remaining Scouts are shot down in short order.

The Valkyrie Transporter and Interceptor (serving as a field taxi of sorts) go to the Sirius temple to clear out whatever Aliens have beamed down there.

Codename: Cleanse. Purge. KILL!

Soldiers: Bobbin, Beef, Quinto, Mats, Super.
Quinto & Mats have left their explosive packs at home and borrowed some stun grapples from other agents, so now they dual-wield these.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission11-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission11-1.png)
06:31:24 : We enter a defensive setup, waiting for the scum to come to us.

06:31:36 : And soon Beef and Super open fire at a Cultist.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission11-4.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission11-4.png)
06:31:45 : Mats encounters an Anthropod. He gets injured, but manages to knock the creature out. Super encounters another Cultist and begins firing. Beef runs to Mats to pick up the aliens' gear.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission11-6.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission11-6.png)
06:32:15 : Two Cultists fall prey to Quinto's ambush. Bobbin finishes off third one. Beef spots two Spitters, who escape from the room. The Anthropod wakes up and is put to - eternal - rest by Super.

Bobbin sees a Multiworm and Brainsucker. Super drives them away and kills the Brainsucker when it shortly decides it wants to get back to try a bite of HIS brain.
Super: "Yeah, try that. No goddamn alien will ever have MY brains for stew!"

The team assumes defensive positions again, but a little further this time. Beef pulls out her scanner and begins tracking whatever is moving around.

Beef: "Bobbin, Quinto, something's coming in your direction. Either one large critter or two smaller, not sure."

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission11-14.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission11-14.png)
06:34:33 : A Multiworm emerges from the doorway, but Bobbin quickly sends the thing back to whatever hell it came from.
Duke begins checking out next room. Clear. He and Mats cover another door.

06:35:24 : Super starts destroying curtains to uncover another room. Clear again, the two move to guard the entrance to the last room. Bobbin spots a Sirius cultist and dispatches of him, as well as the Cultists' buddy who comes shortly after.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission11-17.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission11-17.png)
The team storm the last room, and encounter two spitters. Super and Bobbin start firing, while Quinto runs towards the creatures in order to capture at least one live specimen. He goes down the gravlift and sees a third Spitter, whom he follows and knocks out with Stun Grapples. Two other aliens meet their death at hands of Bobbin and Super.

Bobbin, Super and Mats descend to the underground to clear out whatever is still there.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission11-20.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission11-20.png)
Super finds and dispatches two Sirius cultists. With that, the mission is over.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission11-End.png)

Good one. We managed rather good, and we got a live spitter for the biochem dept.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Alert5site.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Alert5site.png)
Just as we are taking off, an alert is signalled in one of the slums owned by SELF. Investigation follows.

The Fifth Horseman

27-09-2005, 12:47 PM

Codename: Overkill

Soldiers: Everyone! (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission12-Teams.png)

We really earned it this time... this mission will be fought on a two-block map. Damn. Fortunately, these are easy ones.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission12-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission12-1.png)
Super spots three Multiworm Eggs. He kills them all.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission12-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission12-2.png)
Team 1 gets fired at by an Anthropod who escapes. Team 2 and 3 begin a firefight against a Spitter and Brainsucker. When Team 5 (Quinto & Mats) approach, they find out that there is also an Anthropod there. Quinto quickly chucks out two Stun Grenades. And two more. The Anthropod is out cold.

Quintopotere spots another Spitter, while Team 1 get engaged with a Multiworm. Quinto cannot resist a sudden urge to drop an Incendiary grenade. Unfortunately, he hits the Anthropod instead. Reamus runs into the fire to grab whatever gear might have survived.

Mats and Quinto exchange fire with the Spitter for a short time, until Mats decides to drop another Incendiary, this time dead center onto the Spitter.

The Multiworm and Hyperworms are destroyed before they manage to cause any harm. The Spitter runs away, right into the waiting guns of Team 3. Team 1 kill another Spitter who came out of the gravlift.

Super, Quintopotere and Mats enter the top floor and begin sweeping the building from there. Meanwhile, more Spitters and another Multiworm come down the lift. After the Multiworm is killed, one Hyperworm lives long enough to bite a chunk out of Danny.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission12-End.png)

Punch, Skumpaq & Beef get promoted to Squad Leaders. Kearnsy and Quintopotere to Squaddies.

The team is a bit worn out, so we'll get a few hours of break.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Beefchecking2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Beefchecking2.png)
09:55:00 : Beef comes crashing into the barracks. WITH the door.
Beef: "Get your gear, people! We have alien infiltrations in Diablo and Government!"

The Diablo facilities are close to Government-owned Eden Mansions. It seems likely that this is the place of infestation. And when we come there - it really turns out to be one.

BTW, I spent some time to code a simple stat backup/restoration program. It works, at least as long as the character name is unique enough (Mats caused some trouble - there is a scientist named Matsumara). For the purpose of stat records, I have devised a simple record format I call TIS-11 (11 bytes = 10 for the stats, 1 for the face), but ATM IDK what is responsible for determining if the soldier is an android of not. Thus, when I get that figured out, I'll have to extend TIS-11 slightly into TIS-12 (with an extra byte on the end, determining the difference between machines and flesh-and-blood characters). As it is now, it looks like the offset +B3 of the record is responsible for the change, with value 02 making the character an android and anything else - flesh-and-blood person. This might come in useful at some point, since the androids' skill blockade can be removed.
Right now, the restoration is a little crude in the user-end terms, but there is nothing that a bit of coding won't fix. I'll probably just have to - once again - use a temporary storage file to ease the data transfer.

+UPDATE+ I have finished all work on the program. Indeed, Offset B3 is the right one, altough I have no goddamn idea what values other then 01 and 02 mean. I had a bit of trouble with unexpected file corruption issues, which turned out to be caused by me ovelooking one little feature of a certain command in the script language: the Call funtion remembers the position in the datafile, and when the Call is Returned, the program returns to that position. The thing is that I have used this function many times, also in this script, so I should have remembered. And yet, I somehow overlooked that fact.
Anyway, the program is ready for public use, so I've attached its ZIP to this post. It is called "Vatman", and will work in DOS, XP and DosBox. The Temp.vat file must be present for the program to work, if you accidentally delete it just create an empty TXT file and rename it to Temp.vat.
Only the first 6 characters of the name you enter actually matter when looking for soldiers. I can change that to make it shorter, sure, but I already had some bad experience with 4-byte long search string (When trying to back-up Mats), so the 6-character limit is much, much safer than that, while at the same time it doesn't force the player to enter full soldier names (which might sometimes be just ridiculously long). I _might_ add a special routine that will allow you to select short or full name search tomorrow.
I have also removed from the final version support for converting files with a .HEX extension (206-byte long complete copy of the hexadecimal string defining the soldier in a save file), since it was only useful for me when I was converting my .HEX resurrection record files to TIS format.
The manager does not allow for extracting or implanting TIS records to/from savegames made during tactical game, only to/from the ones made from the city map. This is on purpose.
Finally, my mumblings about changing the TIS-11 to TIS-12 can be considered obsolete, as the program will automatically diferentiate the androids from "normal" characters by checking the value of the record byte responsible for face information.

Allright, to finish my technical mumbling: you can download & use the damn thing right away.

Oh, and the game summary:

Soldiers</span>

ACTIVE SOLDIERS (19) (stars mean, as in Super's game, no. of resurrections)
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Reamus10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Reamus</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Punch10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Punch 999</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Predjuice10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>PredjuiceSucks</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Kearnsy10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Kearnsy *</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Toxik10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Toxik</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Chosen10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>The Chosen</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/SupSuper10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>SupSuper</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Skumpaq10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Skumpaq</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Eagle10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Eagle of Fire</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Doubler10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Doubler</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Danny10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Danny 252 </a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Bobbin10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Bobbin</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Beef10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Beef</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Abi10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Abi79</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Quintopotere10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Quintopotere</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Jones10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Fruit Pie Jones</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Alpha10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>A1s</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Aristharus10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Aristharus</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Mats10.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Mats</a>

DECEASED (0)

<span style=\'color:ORANGE\'>IN QUEQUE (1)
Lonely Vazdru

Ooops, looks like I lost Danny's stat screenshot somwhere. Will fix that tomorrow.

BeefontheBone

27-09-2005, 02:49 PM

Ooooh, exciting. You'd think I'd be intelligent enough not to be fooled by the initial quietness of a multiworm egg though :(

The Fifth Horseman

27-09-2005, 03:36 PM

OK, I'm not an uber-player. I forgot that the eggs aren't as vulnerable to Stun Grapples as to the gas, if I remembered that I'd order you and Danny to gas the thing right away.

PrejudiceSucks

27-09-2005, 03:58 PM

Excellent. It seems that my blow-the-crap-out-of-everything job is going quite well then.

How do you train androids?

Danny252

27-09-2005, 04:19 PM

I is teh uberleetone.
Missing stats.

PrejudiceSucks

27-09-2005, 06:54 PM

I think that you'll find that I'm the uber one.

Danny252

27-09-2005, 10:02 PM

just you wait 'till I get my stats!

Bobbin Threadbare

28-09-2005, 08:55 AM

Wow, those were long posts.

Abi79

28-09-2005, 10:43 AM

This time I liked the story telling. You're doing great horseman :ok:

The Fifth Horseman

28-09-2005, 11:17 AM

Danny's stats fixed. Predjuice PWNS him easily, as you can see.

BTW: Don't be surprised that some of the stat screens might look oddly, part of them were taken in Tactical mode and part in the Strategical mode.

How do you train androids?
Taking the first byte of the name as offset 00h, offset +B3 contains the difference between android and non-android characters. Note that being a "hardware-locked" android has its own benefits.
I'll just code a little locker/unlocker program, so that you folks could do the same in your own games.

Wow, those were long posts.
Three hours of hard work. And that was only adding the board-tags.

PS. Sorry for lack of Monday/Tuesday update, I had to 1. insert all the relevant tags to have the posts display right and 2. devote a lot of time for a particular miniature painting project (it's for a contest) that I have to finish before Saturday.

Quintopotere

28-09-2005, 11:36 AM

Very long posts... you did a great job :ok:

Quinto cannot resist a sudden urge to drop an Incendiary grenade.

Does someone want a flamb? Spitter? :w00t:

Mats

29-09-2005, 01:09 PM

Does that mean that androids can be trained now? How does that affect the stats that androids have no skill in to start with (I'm talking about the PSI stats)?

///MJ

The Fifth Horseman

29-09-2005, 01:31 PM

Androids are still going strong, and seeing as they are still better then the human crew they won't get training for at least next week of game time.

PS. It seem that after the lost senate elections, the office here will go through a radical change of the command staff. As I was a non-employed volunteer, it looks like I'll be saying goodbye as well, effectively terminating my internet access from here. Maybe it'll turn out better, but in the worst case scenario, I won't be able to report more often then once or twice a week, sorry.

The Fifth Horseman

30-09-2005, 03:38 PM

Seems like I'll keep the access for a week or two longer.

Right now, as I have not made any progress over the week, I'll try to provide the Monday report at least as fat as the old one was - and maybe even more... :)

Abi79

30-09-2005, 03:48 PM

Have you got internet access at home ?

The Fifth Horseman

03-10-2005, 03:28 PM

Nope, not at all. This is a pain for me, but we cannot afford it ATM - since we don't have a phone cable running to our house, a modem isn't an option either.

Seems like the office won't go to hell, afterall - lucky me.

I have managed to spend a few hours on AA yesterday, but the rest of the weekend was hectic to say the least. Will try to squeeze in an hour or two more today and prepare the report for you.

Danny252

03-10-2005, 03:34 PM

I had a go recently on Apoc... I managed to buy out all the machine gun ammunition in the city, aswell as all the autocannon ammo. Now Im running low on both... See, when everyone has 2 machine guns/auto cannons each... they use up ammo FAST... Apart from the laser dudes, they're ok..

Thank god for stun grapples...

How often does the market replenish?

Also, I saw you raided some of the suppliers, or the like. How do you do this without REALLY annoying them?

The Fifth Horseman

03-10-2005, 04:03 PM

Market refills on each Monday.

To raid a corp without infuriating them, you need to ally with them, equip everyone with Stun Grapples (or at least as many agents as you have grapples) and then raid that corp. This sort of mission is not too easy, as you have to do with just Stun Grapples, but when you get used to it it's quite OK. You can get a lot of ammo for Autocannon, Marsec MG and AP grenades, as well as some gear that enters the market only on the beginning of second or third week.

Danny252

03-10-2005, 07:11 PM

Hmm, I tried that before.. they weren't happy and went straight back to neutral.

Also I made some enemies doing aerial battle with the Cult...

The Fifth Horseman

04-10-2005, 10:11 AM

Did you cary any guns? Best is to not even _carry_ any weapons, explosives or grenades into a Stun raid. Stun Grapples and Motion Scanners only. You can even lay off the armor.

I have four missions on report, but I won't be able to put the report up today - haven't sorted out the screenshots or put the image/link tags in, and in less then an hour I have to go to the university.

Abi79

04-10-2005, 10:27 AM

4 missions ? Yepee. Everybody dance ! :apple: :Brain:

Bobbin Threadbare

04-10-2005, 11:33 AM

All right. That's gonna be a fun, big read.. Again! :Brain:

Danny252

04-10-2005, 04:06 PM

has this thread shrunk since yesterday?

Abi79

04-10-2005, 05:26 PM

:huh: What do you mean ? ... No, it hasn't. Why ?

Danny252

04-10-2005, 09:38 PM

Im sure it was more than 8 pages.. must be looking at these 70+ page threads too much.. :P

The Fifth Horseman

06-10-2005, 10:00 AM

Picking up where we have ended last week. Again adding stuff on the fly, it will take me a while...

Valkyrie Transporter and Valkyrie Interceptor are transporting most of the team to the residential facility. Most - except Danny and Mats who are too badly messed up to join in the fun.

The moods are violent onboard. Super is the first one to arrive at the place, since he has jumped from the Valkyrie in mid-air.
... what a maniac...
All that prevented him from changing into a red splatter on the concrete is the fact that he had his jump-pack on.

Codename: Devastation.
Objective: Eliminate the aliens using maximum possible force. Try avoiding too much collateral damage - that is, if you can...

09:55:37 : The teams arrive at the building. It is decided that Super will fly together with Quintopotere, as they are both equally devastating for Aliens (and dangerous for X-Com operatives as well).

Team 1 and 2 begin covering the alleys, Team 3 starts cheching one of the buildings. Devastating Duo engage their fly-packs and rise to the skies on the lookout for vict... for aliens, allright.

09:55:44 : Team 3 spots and Anthropod.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission13-3.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission13-3.png)

09:55:45 : The canonade that Team 3 brought down on the Alien did not give it a slightest chance for survival. Before its death, however, it managed to throw a Boomeroid towards our brave warriors.

Toxik: "INCOMIIING!"
Everyone ducks for cover...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission13-4.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission13-4.png)

09:55:48 : The Boomeroid has exploded, taking a portion of the wall along. Fortunately for us, none of Team 3 were wounded. That might quickly change: two Brainsuckers are coming down the stairs...

09:55:49 : Team 2 spots a Spitter. Super and Quinto are converging on its position.

09:55:50 : One sucker down, another comes in its place. The Devastating Duo spot a Multiworm egg in an office. Typically for him, Super starts to bomb it with explosives.

09:55:53 : Team 3 has survived the brainsucker assault wihtout losses. Team 3 takes down a Spitter, but Quinto spots two more behind it.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission13-8.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission13-8.png)

09:56:00 : Quinto brought down the Spitters, but there is also a Multiworm. Our brave android decides to take the creature alive. He drops two Stun and one AP grenade, setting them so that the gas will detonate a little earlier, but late enough for him to escape.

09:56:03 : Quinto has missed the mark. The grenades exploded before Multiworm could get into their area of effect, so the beast is still coming. Quinto decides to try again...

09:56:14 : and this time the grenades actually send some gas towards the thing's respiratory system. Meanwhile, Super finds that there were actually two eggs and gives them a taste of explosives.

Several seconds later, the Multiworm collapses and the mission is over.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission13-End)

Seems like we managed to capture that Multiworm alive, afterall...

We're going to the Diablo properties now. The first one checked brings no new discoveries to our brave X-Cops (and Diablo seem to be quite pissed), but the other one provides us with more alien scum to waste.

Codename: Spitball

Teams as previously. On this mission let's try to capture a _live_ Spitter. I have a feeling we might need it sooner or later...

09:56:00 : We end up in a park section. Teams 1-3 will move on foot, while the "flyboys" will ascend to the maximum height their flysuits can crank out and check out the area from up above.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission14-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission14-1.png)

09:56:02 : Spitter and a Multiworm Egg spotted.

Team 1 finishes off the egg rather quickly, and a Multiworm is found.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission14-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission14-2.png)

09:56:16 : During the apocalyptic shoot-out against the Multiworm, the Spitter is - unfotrunately - killed. All aliens are dead.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission14-End.png)

Congratulations to Beef, who has discovered the alien infiltration in time to act before the corps were ovetaken. Good job.

19:55:00 : The techs have cracked the technology that makes Disruptor Guns tick. The techs are immediately reassigned to analyze the Devastator Cannons we have brought a while back.

20:30:00 : Remember that a while back Megapol have hit Diablo where it hurts? Well, Diablo's boys have just dispensed some retribution against Megapol forces.

<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Day6Summary.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Day 7</a>

A lot of things have entered the market - we'll have some fun shopping, at least when we get more cash. Stun Raids will do.

Reloaded has just been completed. We're moving - and fast. The move is over in under an hour.

A new android has been recruited for the security of Abandonia base (as none of the troops currently reside there), his "name" is H-0453-MN (Horseman), and he's a rather nasty piece of work. He won't, however, participate in missions unless explicitly neccesary.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Alert6site.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Alert6site.png)
01:10:00 : Alien spotted in a shopping mall, located conveniently just next to our base. Mats stays at the base, since he's still not fixed completely. Rest of the troops go.

On the way, Valkyrie Transporter:
Bobbin: "So, Beef, are you going to use the opportunity? (wink, wink)"
Beef: "What opportunity?"
Bobbin: "It's a shopping mall. Are you going to tell me you don't like shopping?"
Beef: "And what if I don't? We are going there to kick alien behind, not to buy useless trinkets."

01:10:15 : This place looks like it was designed to make out work hard. Really.

Reamus spots an entrance to underground section of the building.
Reamus: "Skumpaq, you go with me. We'll check there."
Both split off from Team 3.

Beef: "Predjuice, we'll stay here and keep an eye on the center of the structure."
Beef & Predjuice split from Team 2.

Team 1 notices some panicked citizens. Looks like they saw something ugly...

01:10:36 : First alien contact, a Hyperworm spotted by Super.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission15-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission15-1.png)
01:10:39 : Oops. Property damage... HUGE property damage, in fact. They're gonna sue us... but the worms are dead.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission15-4.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission15-4.png)
01:10:47 : The mall is smaller then it seemed. Will be easier to clear it.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission15-5.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission15-5.png)
01:10:49 : Team 1 finds a Spitter. Meanwhile, Prejduice decides to take down two gravlifts, so that the Aliens' escape routes will be limited, and Team 2 starts running to capture a second Spitter that Team 1 have found.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission15-8.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission15-8.png)
01:11:23 : Team 1 has killed one Spitter, and Team 2 has succeeded in their race to get the other Spitter packed into a net.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission15-End.png)

Abi was promoted to Squad Leader and we have achieved our goal - a live Spitter has been captured. But the very thought of the quota we're gonna have to pay for the property damage is more then enough to spoil the satisfaction from out success.

02:55:00 : The techs have finished their work on design of Advanced Biochemistry Lab. We're going to build some today, provided we'll manage to get the stun raids in time. Since two other projects are in progress at the other labs, the crew has been ordered to begin analysis of the Spitter that Eagle, Doubler and Alpha have so kindly managed to capture.

After barely three hours of sleep, everybody is woken up by an alarm siren - aliens have infiltrated the Senate building!

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Alert7site.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Alert7site.png)
03:30:00 : Live Alien spotted at Senate.

Bobbin Threadbare

06-10-2005, 10:15 AM

Originally posted by the_fifth_horseman@Oct 6 2005, 08:00 PM
On the way, Valkyrie Transporter:
Bobbin: "So, Beef, are you going to use the opportunity? (wink, wink)"
Beef: "What opportunity?"
Bobbin: "It's a shopping mall. Are you going to tell me you don't like shopping?"
Beef: "And what if I don't? We are going there to kick alien behind, not to buy useless trinkets."
Seriously, Beef. Shopping can be fun! Depending on what you're shopping for.

BeefontheBone

06-10-2005, 03:19 PM

Aliens in the senate? Nasty.

I love shopping!

Toxik

06-10-2005, 03:46 PM

Originally posted by BeefontheBone@Oct 6 2005, 05:19 PM
Aliens in the senate?

And anything new happened? :D

Danny252

06-10-2005, 04:20 PM

Shopping is fun. when it involves heavy weapons and explosives. Heck, most of my time in apoc is spent between fighting and getting more stuff for the next :P
Time to kick some alien behind. Dont bring down the senate tho.

PrejudiceSucks

06-10-2005, 07:53 PM

Boo hoo hoo if only I could go on a killing rampage again. I want to see what mayhem I can do at the senate :D

Bobbin Threadbare

07-10-2005, 06:24 AM

KILL, KILL, KILL! Ehm... Sorry.

The Fifth Horseman

07-10-2005, 08:39 AM

Predjuice, as soon as we get some more MiniLaunchers from the raids... you get a dual wield.

BTW, I have an option for those whose human/hybrid characters get killed - instead of reviving the character as a human (using my current vat-management system), I can return all the pre-death statline levels to him - but for a certain price. That price is that the character will have their species set to android (no training possible, immunity to brainsucking, PSI skill/strength reset to 0 and PSI defence maxed out to 100).

Bobbin Threadbare

07-10-2005, 09:16 AM

I'd prefer to be ressurected to a human.

PrejudiceSucks

07-10-2005, 12:14 PM

Nah, you want to be a highly skilled android!

They're great!

Bobbin Threadbare

07-10-2005, 12:28 PM

I do?! Yeah... That's right..... I wanna be an...... android...... That's it!

Quintopotere

08-10-2005, 08:53 AM

Originally posted by PrejudiceSucks@Oct 7 2005, 12:14 PM
Nah, you want to be a highly skilled android!

They're great!
Thanks!

It is decided that Super will fly together with Quintopotere, as they are both equally devastating for Aliens (and dangerous for X-Com operatives as well).

I'm not a bad android... they just programmed me in that way! :evil: :Titan:

The Fifth Horseman

13-10-2005, 10:20 AM

I've been forced by various circumstances to temporarily suspend the game. Lack of sleep being the most prominent one.

Don't worry, it will be back, but not before this weekend. Also the updates will be smaller.

The Fifth Horseman

04-11-2005, 01:53 PM

Allright, I'm back. Kind of.

Before I get back to the game, however, please tell me if any of you are actually still interested in continuing that thing...

Abi79

04-11-2005, 02:18 PM

Me, me.

Doubler

04-11-2005, 02:30 PM

Ooh, me too! :w00t:

Fruit Pie Jones

04-11-2005, 03:40 PM

I'm interested, although I don't think "continuing" is the right term to use for me, since I don't believe I've done a single thing yet.

Quintopotere

05-11-2005, 11:28 AM

I'd like to continue... I wanna my android to continue in devastating everything!

But just if it doesn't mean for you too much wasting time :ok:

TheChosen

05-11-2005, 11:35 AM

What? Are you planning to quit?

Im still in.

Danny252

05-11-2005, 02:00 PM

me too!

SupSuper

05-11-2005, 02:04 PM

Duke Super's always ready for action! :D

The Fifth Horseman

05-11-2005, 02:56 PM

Then all is set, get in the gear.

Danny252

05-11-2005, 03:15 PM

*Tries to hop into suit*
Dammit, I've grown too much since the last time we played!

Abi79

06-11-2005, 06:40 PM

You poor little shizzle fizzle Danny. My suit got bigger. :ranting:

Danny252

06-11-2005, 08:25 PM

Teehee...
At least you didn't grow Boobs while we were on vacation from UFO...
<_<

The Fifth Horseman

07-11-2005, 01:21 PM

Picking up from where we ended last time.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Alert7site.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Alert7site.png)
03:30:00 : Live Alien spotted at Senate.

Everybody re-equips quickly. Since - if you remember - Mats has recently been wounded, he will stay at the base.

Oh, and by the way... remember when I told you of that new android to defend Abandonia base? Here he is:
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/th_Horseman11.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Horseman11.png)

As you can see, he's capable of stalling a small army of aliens by himself. This will come useful sooner or later.

As our team is heading towards the Senate building, a quick list is made of soldiers assigned to this mission:
Valkyrie Transporter:
Bobbin, Danny, Chosen, Predjuice, Eagle, Doubler, Jones, Skumpaq, Toxik, Abi, Punch, SupSuper
Valkyrie Interceptor:
Reamus, Beef, Aristharus, Alpha, Quintopotere, Kearnsy

Total 18 soldiers.

Codename: Alien cockroaches from Hell

We're splitting in three groups and start clearing the building. The sweep plan is the usual infallible method. What worries me is that every infallible method must fail one time... I just hope it's not today...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission16-2.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission16-2.png)
03:30:42 : Predjuice spots an Anthropod and prepares to Terminate with extreme predjuice... :evil:

03:30:43 : Damn. The bugger was not alone.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission16-4.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission16-4.png)
03:30:45 : Team 2 managed to drive the aliens away. Quintopotere prepares for a gassing run.

03:30:54 : The aliens try to run away. However, Teams 1 and 3 are already moving in to pincer them. Team 4 descends via a gravlift to check the basement.

03:31:04 : Quintopotere has the Anthropods and (surprise!) a Hyperworm in sights. First grenade misses, the second and third are right on the spot. He then quickly goes round the corner to avoid harm.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission16-5.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission16-5.png)
03:31:16 : Surprise! The Anthropods are out cold. Team 2 moves in to collect. Team 4 continues their sweep in the basement, finding no obvious signs of alien activity (you know, cocooned bodies, slime dripping from the walls, traces of unusual resin-like compound etc).

03:31:25 : Team 3 checks one of the rooms. When she's been collecting the gear of unconscious aliens together with her companions in Team 2, Eagle spots a live Spitter. The alien moves out of her sight, for now it is safe...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission16-8.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission16-8.png)
03:31:49 : ...until Team 3 drastically reduces its life expectancy.

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission16-End.png)
Skumpaq was promoted to a Sergeant. We have captured a couple Boomeroids, two Devastator Cannons and a pair of Personal Shields, not to mention acquiring live Anthropod specimen. R&D boys will be truly pleased back at base.

Our exhausted heroes return to base for several hours of decent rest, at least until...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/th_Alert8site.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Alert8site.png)
10:50:00 : Live alien spotted.
The sighting location are government-owned slums, very close to our base. Time to do some cleaning...

Codename: Slum Rats
Teams exactly as in last mission.

I don't like it. The first section of the slums is the road-and-bridge one we already know, and we find it clear in no time. That's too easy. It's too calm in here...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission17-1.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission17-1.png)
10:50:46 : Anthropod spotted.

I knew it.

Another Anthropood popped out behind the first, but both quickly found out just how immense firepower we have. Unfortunately, their Boomeroids exploded leaving us no hope for salvaging their equipment. There seems to be a third one, and he's sniping at Danny.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission17-3.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission17-3.png)
10:51:04 : And indeed there was one. He seems to posess a Personal Shield, so Team 1 and 5 are dropping to the sides, while Doubler and Beef try to knock the critter out with their grenades.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission17-5.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission17-5.png)
10:51:11 : Beef has forgotten to throw her grenade somehow and it exploded in her hand, knocking out her whole team. Team 4 has located a hyperworm on top of a staircage.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission17-6.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission17-6.png)
10:51:20 : As Team 3 nears the central gravlift of the building, Toxik is the first one to reach the destination... and find a FOURTH Anthropod that has been camping in there. Toxik has only one thing to fall back on... his stun grenades. The alien decides to start the throwing match, dumping two explosive devices next to Toxik. As Toxik throws his grenades, the devices explode, wounding him critically and killing the alien. He is also knocked out by his own stun grenades. Our only chance to save him is to succesfully complete the mission before he dies from the wounds.

10:51:28 : Team 3 finishes the Hyperworm. We must hurry, the clock is ticking for Toxik...

10:51:46 : ... and now it has ran out. Toxik is DEAD. Skumpaq, Kearnsy and Jones salute him and run into the building to destroy the kin of the alien monstrosity that has murdered their squadmate.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/th_Mission17-7.png (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission17-7.png)
10:52:19 : With that many people, even this building can be swept quickly. Team 3 encounter a Spitter. Kearnsy - still furious after his teammate's death - shoves his twin Auto Cannons into the monstrosity's face and with a wicked smile pulls the triggers. That had to hurt...

Mission Summary (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Missions/Mission17-End.png)
Reamus, Quintopotere and Kearnsy have been promoted to squad leaders. It also seems that we captured some alien equipment and a live specimen of some sort, but none of that can compensate the loss of Toxik.

You will be missed.

Since he had some pretty good stats, Toxik is given an option: Rebirth in flesh or steel. Note that if he changes to steel (ie resurrection as an android), next time he dies he CAN choose to revert his character to a human again. I have saved the hex string corresponding to his stats, just in case.
+EDIT+ Recent news: Toxik shall return, a weakling human no more, the frail human flesh replaced by unyielding steel and his mind encased in carbon and silicone. Yes, he chose to become an android. +/EDIT+

12:00:00 : We're starting Stun Raids. Marsec being our first target, Government the second. All teammates leave their armor at home, since they all need all the manouverability they can get. Predjuice, Quintopotere and Mats have to stay home, since their gear is not suitable for stun raids at all.

Note: The "points" I'm listing is what did we get for captured equipment by itself. Actually each of these raids gave us in between 200 and 350 points total. The cargo is how much cargo did the Transporter craft gather after each mission - as you can see, a real lot...

Marsec Arms factory on the north is our first target. We split into five three-man teams.
Raid 1 - 6 points for salvage, 485 cargo
Raid 2 - 24 salvage, 729 cargo
Raid 3 - 37 salvage, 959 cargo
3 Raids - 67 points for captured equipment, total 2173 cargo units of loot.
Second target are Government Apartments to the west.
Raid 1 - 22 salvage, 932 cargo
Raid 2 - 22 salvage, 1122 cargo
Raid 3 - 33 salvage, 1595 cargo
3 raids - 77 points for equipment, 3649 loot.

This makes total 144 points for equipment, which equals 5822 units of cargo. Nice score. Selling all that stuff gains us 124 950 credits.

A little break...

12:55:00 : Biologists have finished their authopsy of Anthropod. They are immediately assigned to analysing the live specimen we have recently obtained.

We already got some cash, but we'll need much more than that, since we have to furnish out our third base and buy at least two Hawk Air Warriors.

13:00:00 : We're going for a few further raids on Government...
Raid 1 - 15 pts, 870 crg
Raid 2 - 44 pts, 1707 crg
Raid 3 - 25 pts, 1198 crg
Raid 4 - 14 pts, 1003 crg
Raid 5 - 30 pts, 1289 crg
Raid 6 - 19 pts, 1073 crg

Total 147 points in 7140 cargo. Again, pretty neat.

We'll have to cut the raids for today, as we know what happened last time we got all raid-happy...

Selling that junk (keeping some extra ammo, though), including a prodigious quantity of Elerium, nets us 180 110 credits. Good.

I'm reorganising Abandonia base a little, so that we can build a large lab in there, and also start looking for a building suitable for a third base. I have two possible choices, one warehouse in the city and a bigger (but more expensive as well) building in slums. We'll see about it in a few hours.

At the same time, the raids have provided you lot a good amount of target practice. Altough "Duke" Super is still one of the best all-round soldiers, other soldiers begin to near his efficiency, or - like Punch - already outclass him in some areas.

The gear we have captured included a few extra medikits and motion scanners. The latter were dispensed among those troops who still didn't have one, including Jones. By the way, it's not true he didn't do anything... 5 days service, 22 missions (this means 10 non-raid ones), 1 kills and 3 % improvement. That isn't so bad...

12 Stun Raids: An hour of gameplay.
Two Hawk Air Warriors, including weaponry, equipment and engine upgrades: 236 608 credits.
The stupid look on aliens' face before they are blasted into oblivion: priceless.
There are things that cannot be bought. Everything else, X-Com can afford.

After the refit, these machines become powerhouses of rocket destruction.

Back to setting up a new base. Since we cannot afford the bigger of the two buildings, we're buying the cheaper one. It will be called ReD zone, since I'm out of funny ideas. Current layout is just of basic facilities, as we're almost out of cash. A few Stun Raids tomorrow should fix that problem.

Day 8 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Day7Summary.png)

At midnight, the Biochemists have finished with the Spitter.

Finally a new Hybrid has appeared in the recruit pool - Vazdru has got his character in.

Furthermore, we have hired a couple more scientists and engineers. If the engineers keep making Disruptor Guns, we might earn some money.

12:30:00 : The soldiers are bored, especdially that hot-headed Hybrid girl named Rico. She's been getting on almost everybody's nerves with her unceasing eagerness to get out on a mission and kick some alien rear ends.

In order to get some decent financial backing _and_ end Rico's complaints, we're going on a Stun Raid, executable immediately.

The Fifth Horseman

07-11-2005, 01:37 PM

Game Status:

Soldiers</span>

ACTIVE SOLDIERS (20) (stars mean, as in Super's game, no. of resurrections)
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Reamus11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Reamus</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Punch11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Punch 999</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Predjuice11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>PredjuiceSucks</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Kearnsy11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Kearnsy *</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Chosen11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>The Chosen</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/SupSuper11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>SupSuper</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Skumpaq11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Skumpaq</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Eagle11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Eagle of Fire</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Doubler11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Doubler</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Danny11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Danny 252 </a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Bobbin11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Bobbin</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Beef11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Beef</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Abi11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Abi79</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Quintopotere11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Quintopotere</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Jones11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Fruit Pie Jones</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Alpha11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>A1s</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Aristharus11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Aristharus</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Mats11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Mats</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Vazdru11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Rico (Lonely Vazdru)</a>
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Horseman11.png\' target=\'_blank\'>H-0453-MN (The_Fifth_Horseman)</a>

Note: My "character" is only there to keep an eye over the first base.

DECEASED (1)
<a href=\'http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Misc/Toxikisdead.png\' target=\'_blank\'>Toxik</a>

IN QUEQUE (0)

<span style=\'color:BLUE\'>TOP FIVE
Punch 999 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Punch11.png)
SupSuper (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/SupSuper11.png)
Bobbin (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Bobbin11.png)
Beef (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Beef11.png)
Abi79 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/AbandoniaApocalypse/Troops/Abi11.png)

Post-scriptum:

I'll look into preserving people's day/mission/kill records after resurrection, if there will be enough demand for that. Stat levels will still be reset to the inital levels.

I think I'll put some less experienced troops into a strike team to level Temple of Sirius... again :evil:
It is possible to request your character being put through a "crash course", ie several missions in a minimalized squad raiding Cult of Sirius. This is somewhat risky, but can boost your stats a lot. If you want to volunteer - just post about this.

As soon as the ReD Zone is operational, I'll need an android (or two) to protect it, and probably another android to protect the original base. The participants whose characters will be in the "Top Five" at that time will be asked for permission for android dopplegangers of their characters to be created for this purpose (and if their original character dies, they'll be able to choose to switch to the android duplicate instead). The dopplegangers will exactly copy their non-psionic stats.