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So this came up some time back in a thread about Prometheus but I got to thinking (while browsing the Dropship Commander thread TBH) that more people might actually care about this.

Back in 1996, Lee Brimmicombe-Wood wrote a book about the US Colonial Marines that went way into ultra-realistic detail about this fictional force. The book was much beloved by fans and despite being relatively thin (159 pages) was selling used for top dollar -- more accurately, hundreds of top dollars.

In six days, the revised edition will be released. As somebody who could never see springing for the outrageously priced older edition, I was incredibly pleased to see this and pre-ordered it months ago. Now that we're closer to the release, I thought I'd give a shout to all of you who may not have heard about this (given that at least one other Dakkanaut was super pleased about this news when I passed it on).

http://www.amazon.com/Aliens-Colonial-Marines-Technical-Manual/dp/1781161313/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

If that Dakkanaut wasn't me, you can add me to the list of "super pleased". Thanks for the heads up!

Cool thanks

This is great news! Pre-ordered one as well. Thanks for the heads up!

Thanks a lot for the heads-up, will make sure I get hold of a copy!

Some images from the 1996 edition:

http://flickeflu.com/set/72157606149933741

I have the original in a box somewhere, I picked it up in a charity shop for £1.

I had an original edition when it was first released. It was lost in a move. For many years I pined for a copy, and then one day I lucked out an scored one on ebay for $15 or so shipped. Mint condition, too. This is around 2 years ago. I'm glad it's being re-released because it's a great book and hope many people get to read it. I wonder if they're adding anything?

edit: spelling

Count me in - I'm ordering one ASAP.

Love the Alien films (except the third one & resurection - urggh)

I like some elements of 3 & 4, even. I liked Charles S. Duttons, Dan Hedaya's, and Raymond Cruz's characters. I even really liked the concept behind 3, although they just didn't bring it home well.

4 really was nearly unsalvageable, though - a rare miss by Joss Whedon.

I still have the original, read it last year. Any info on whats been revamped/new in it?

I dont even acknowledge Aliens 4 as a film.

Sweet, I'll be picking this up along with that Prometheus art book.

Ouze wrote:I wonder if they're adding anything?

This is the "revised" edition but the page count is only 160.

I like all the Aliens films although I even like AvP:R in some ways. I don't go to McDonald's looking for filet mignon but sometimes I do just want a greasy Big Mac.

I thought AvP:R was the worst film ever made :(
Another whose existence I simply dont acknowledge

Manchu wrote:

Ouze wrote:I wonder if they're adding anything?

This is the "revised" edition but the page count is only 160.

I like all the Aliens films although I even like AvP:R in some ways. I don't go to McDonald's looking for filet mignon but sometimes I do just want a greasy Big Mac.

Yes, but it need not have been a Big Mac!

I think most people who had read the comic books were probably disappointed with the route they took. I think the moment they decided to set it in the current times, rather than in the 'Aliens' traditional future timeline, it moved from sci-fi to joke horror. That's not the entirety of my criticisms of the film (which are many), but rather just an observation that concept of the film was flawed from the outset.

The last AvP game is better than both movies combined for the reasons you describe.

Thing is, the xenomorph isn't really much of a threat to mankind in 2012 much less in 2179. Aliens is probably my favorite film but even I can acknowledge the way Cameron hamstrung the colonial marines in order to make the bugs scary. Yautja have the same problem against humans. The "soft meat" is a lot, lot worse than the "hard meat." Consequently, any good AvP film will need to begin with a disaster that throws the humans off-balance and isolates them. Generally speaking, this should be the result of human treachery (another recurrent theme: not only are we the most dangerous species; we are the most dangerous species to ourselves).

Marketing for Prometheus seems to have re-energized the xenomorph franchise. Last fall, we got Aliens: Infestation for DS. The Tech Manual is coming back out. The Simonson/Goodwin comic is being re-released in several formats. And the true sequel to Aliens is coming out as a console game around October. I have my fingers crossed that another Predators movie will be on its way and just maybe we can reboot the AvP franchise in theaters with something serious.

This is the era of conscientious genre film, after all.

Recalled an interesting tidbit from this last night.

They were speculating on how an Alien moves and reacts to its environment since it has no eyes.

The theory went that it had something like quadrophonic hearing, like 4 hearing nodes on its head that allowed it to pinpoint prey exceptionnally well and navigate around.

I wonder then would sonic weponary work well against them, overloading there hearing and disorientating them?

Thought it was quite interesting.

Manchu wrote: And the true sequel to Aliens is coming out as a console game around October.

I hope you're referring to something other than Colonial Marines? That has (for the fifth time) been delayed. That game is Duke Nukemesque in it's production history.

Is this the one done by Sega?

Yes - Gearbox is the developer, Sega is the publisher, together they are Lucy, the game is the football, and we're Charlie Brown.

Ouze wrote:I like some elements of 3 & 4, even. I liked Charles S. Duttons, Dan Hedaya's, and Raymond Cruz's characters. I even really liked the concept behind 3, although they just didn't bring it home well.

4 really was nearly unsalvageable, though - a rare miss by Joss Whedon.

I had a major crush on Wynona Rider, so strangely enough despite Ressurection being absolutely terrible...

And to be fair to Joss Whedon, the final act of the movie (widely acknowledged as the absolute worst part of it) wasn't his brain child. He wrote 5 scripts for the final act, but none made it to film.

Manchu wrote:The last AvP game is better than both movies combined for the reasons you describe.
>snipped some stuff<

I have my fingers crossed that another Predators movie will be on its way and just maybe we can reboot the AvP franchise in theaters with something serious.

This is the era of conscientious genre film, after all.

I bought but haven't played the last AvP game, but doesn't Colonial Marines come out soon? I've been looking forward to that. I also have to agree re: AvP. If they could do a reboot featuring the storyline from Prey, that would be amazing. Of course, I know there would be a ton of people comparing the "marking" at the end to the "meh" first movie, but I can deal with that...

Edit: somehow missed Ouze's post before I posted this. Damnit Sega!

Ratius wrote:
They were speculating on how an Alien moves and reacts to its environment since it has no eyes.

The first alien did, in fact, have eyes. They were just situated behind it's head plate. Of course, the first Alien used a real human skull as part of its construction, so extra creepiness factor there.

I was under the impression that was just an eye socket with no actual eye?

I recall Geiger saying he didnt want eyes on them as he thought they were scarier without.

Manchu wrote:The last AvP game is better than both movies combined for the reasons you describe.

Thing is, the xenomorph isn't really much of a threat to mankind in 2012 much less in 2179. Aliens is probably my favorite film but even I can acknowledge the way Cameron hamstrung the colonial marines in order to make the bugs scary. Yautja have the same problem against humans. The "soft meat" is a lot, lot worse than the "hard meat." Consequently, any good AvP film will need to begin with a disaster that throws the humans off-balance and isolates them. Generally speaking, this should be the result of human treachery (another recurrent theme: not only are we the most dangerous species; we are the most dangerous species to ourselves).

Marketing for Prometheus seems to have re-energized the xenomorph franchise. Last fall, we got Aliens: Infestation for DS. The Tech Manual is coming back out. The Simonson/Goodwin comic is being re-released in several formats. And the true sequel to Aliens is coming out as a console game around October. I have my fingers crossed that another Predators movie will be on its way and just maybe we can reboot the AvP franchise in theaters with something serious.

This is the era of conscientious genre film, after all.

Yep i'm very disappointed with AvP movies. I EXPECT that the movie follows the computer games guidelines of a group of Survivalist Marines with 'futurized' tommygun fighting against a group of bugs and lone sneaky, murderous Yuatja. instead of today's men fighting against the two extraterrestrial threat!!

Colonial Marines guidebook as posted here says that the formation of CM platoon follows the USMC. What is the tactical superiority of 8 men sections over the 10 men Infantry squad the IG has?

L.

Ouze wrote:That game is Duke Nukemesque in it's production history.

I think this is more a problem of perceptions, with rumors/news about a game like this one going back to 2001. Gearbox's game has only been delayed twice: from spring 2012 to fall 2012 and now to February 2013. Seeing the latest traitler, I still think this game will be worth the wait -- even if it we really had been waiting as long as it feels we have.

7 years is still a really long time for development of an FPS though, don't you think? It's not like Sega is a small publisher or Gearbox is a small developer. In that same timeframe, Bioware cranked out the entire Mass Effect franchise, Bungie released 5 Halo games, Bethesda pushed out Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Skyrim...


Also, new trailer.

I speculate that development has been frustrated by what's been going on with other branches of the franchise. I would bet Gearbox has gone through stretches of not being allowed to work on this game.

I bought the original for my brother some years back. It was great but just had a look for it on ebay - it's going for about £15. That's about what it cost then if I recall.

Also, new trailer.

Hmm very interesting.

Do they get to go down to LV426? I recall some ancient devs trailer where they were on the planet? Was I dreaming?