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Gallia does the team-up thing rather well, drinks on me.
Those big greens sure seem awful angry when we bug them.

Glad all went well, seems appropriate our medic is the greatest fire soak.
"Sorry guys! I angered the aliens and am too busy patching myself up to deal with you just now..."
I just know if my vest gets transferred I will get a full plasma unloading in the chest.

Stream seems to now expect the aliens to run straight for him, they probably want a hug.

Can I wear a flashing leotard? I feel I am not distracting the aliens enough, wait, may have to verify their main visible spectrum.
The holo-targeting just makes me want to yell "Dance, moonwalk for me baby!!"

Excellent work 3rd!

Also been impressed with the extra mission maps in long war, the destroyed urban looks excellent.

Sgt_Scruffy wrote:
I've seen my name generator just... run out of names I guess. I have seen Vengeful Vengeance but not Lethal Death.

I think I would like my nickname to be Saint... Marine "Saint" Heart on account of being a medic and what not You don't need to include "_with" in the name of the character, I am just as happy with Marine Heart

As always these are awesome write ups and surprisingly engaging as I watch each character take a wound, unsure if it will be fatal or how the squads will succeed on their missions when the numbers start mounting against them.
Great job, Scruffy

We're going back to Russia!? First round is on me tonight!

Talizvar wrote:Gallia does the team-up thing rather well, drinks on me.
Those big greens sure seem awful angry when we bug them.

Glad all went well, seems appropriate our medic is the greatest fire soak.
"Sorry guys! I angered the aliens and am too busy patching myself up to deal with you just now..."
I just know if my vest gets transferred I will get a full plasma unloading in the chest.

Stream seems to now expect the aliens to run straight for him, they probably want a hug.

Can I wear a flashing leotard? I feel I am not distracting the aliens enough, wait, may have to verify their main visible spectrum.
The holo-targeting just makes me want to yell "Dance, moonwalk for me baby!!"

There's a sight... Dr. Vahlen's psych evaluation team will see you now. Scouts are in such high demand right now that I need you guys to stay alive. You will be my go to alien capture personnel. Assaults tend to make a mess of any alien they get close to - they just can't help it. The plan will be the scout runs in and zaps the alien. If that doesn't work, the assault is right behind them to ... well I guess zap again... but this time the "bad" type of zap.

SilverMK2 wrote:Excellent work 3rd!

Also been impressed with the extra mission maps in long war, the destroyed urban looks excellent.

I tried going back to vanilla XCOM after I tried Long War to finish up a campaign I had going... just couldn't do it. Long War Beta 14 is just better in every respect - bugs aside.

Marine_With_Heart wrote:

Sgt_Scruffy wrote:
I've seen my name generator just... run out of names I guess. I have seen Vengeful Vengeance but not Lethal Death.

I think I would like my nickname to be Saint... Marine "Saint" Heart on account of being a medic and what not You don't need to include "_with" in the name of the character, I am just as happy with Marine Heart

As always these are awesome write ups and surprisingly engaging as I watch each character take a wound, unsure if it will be fatal or how the squads will succeed on their missions when the numbers start mounting against them.
Great job, Scruffy

Thank you very much and consider your nickname changed as soon as the story catches up (I got ahead of myself again)

chaos0xomega wrote:We're going back to Russia!? First round is on me tonight!

We're gonna try. The air wing is clearing a flight path for a satellite launch as we speak.

Excelt work 3rd squad as always. And for anyone in 4th thinking about sporting leotards or Borat suits while on deployment...... If so reconsider that doing so will volenter you for "special" attention by your Lt

Med-core is getting pretty thin. AdeptSister is willing to work extra shifts to protect her brothers!

So I have to ask, when are our beloved Commander going to start constructing a genetical modification lab and a mec bay?

 Trondheim wrote:
So I have to ask, when are our beloved Commander going to start constructing a genetical modification lab and a mec bay?

When there is enough coin to rub together between keeping birds in the air, with laser fangs, and all assault-type troops get better armor to capture nasty aliens or die trying.

Having played Long War money is the hardest thing to manage.

Being able to capture will help with so many things so that is a priority at this moment.
Once the fancy tazers are out, then priority is coffins for the turkeys who have to perform the capture.

Better guns on the fighters will get the aliens to ease-off on harassing our funding countries and get us more materials as we shoot UFO's down.

I dunno, I would not be in too much of a hurry to have limbs nipped off or your cells rearranged.
<edit> Plus I have not seen what the time period would be for performing those changes... it would seem like forever.

 Trondheim wrote:
So I have to ask, when are our beloved Commander going to start constructing a genetical modification lab and a mec bay?

Anyone else read this as "Genital" modification lab the first time through? As if XCOM wasn't already gender fluid enough lol.

 Talizvar wrote:

 Trondheim wrote:
So I have to ask, when are our beloved Commander going to start constructing a genetical modification lab and a mec bay?

When there is enough coin to rub together between keeping birds in the air, with laser fangs, and all assault-type troops get better armor to capture nasty aliens or die trying.

Having played Long War money is the hardest thing to manage.

Being able to capture will help with so many things so that is a priority at this moment.
Once the fancy tazers are out, then priority is coffins for the turkeys who have to perform the capture.

Better guns on the fighters will get the aliens to ease-off on harassing our funding countries and get us more materials as we shoot UFO's down.

I dunno, I would not be in too much of a hurry to have limbs nipped off or your cells rearranged.
<edit> Plus I have not seen what the time period would be for performing those changes... it would seem like forever.

i know that, having played long war for a substasial amout of time. it helps with evening the playingfield, and bringin very potent weapons to bear on mobile and potent platforms

Hi Scruffy, if it is at all possible to change my look, then could I ask for the following settings (obviously, your game, your rules, so feel free to ignore!) Race 1, Head 9, Skin 6, Hair/Helmet 7, 22, or whatever style you are picking, Hair colour 2, facial hair 1, armour deco your preference, and armour tint 19 - (for that Ultramarines vibe!)
Beyond that, just wanted to say that I'm loving this - you've even got me starting my own game of Enemy Within for the first time!

My first real mission and we won, so why do I feel so.....weird?

Sitting in the Sky ranger returning home, I closed my eye's trying to sort it out. Was I scared? No, every mission is scary with death so close and the thought of dying to a stream of plasma was not a pleasant idea to dwell on, but I was not scared. I kept my cool and did my job, so what was this feeling. Excitement? Relief? Not quiet it.....It was.......it was..... just a good feeling. We had fought a hard battle and won. The enemy and thrown nearly everything at us and we beat them. They attacked and we weathered hit, we hit them and the reeled; retreating and we advance, counter attacking and we dug in. We beat them, it was that simple. Their is was, it was simple. Evil alien bad guys come to earth and try to f*ck with us and we kicked there ass. It was that simple. No agenda's, no politics, no holding back. Just find the bad guy and then kill them.

The little smile sneaked its way onto Gallia's face; as he leaned back into the seat to enjoy the ride home.

My first real mission and we won. We beat you. We can beat you motherf*ckers.

We're working on getting the capture business up and running. It will help immensely on the weapons front as well once we get plasma weapons researched (which won't be for a long time). Once that's complete, we'll probably start working on xenogenetics which will give up access to the genetics labs.

After that, I'm going to start knocking out a bunch of small projects like autopsies, interrogations, UFO analysis,. and experimental warfare. This will help unlock new weapons and foundry tech. July will be a "small" projects month, then August will be consumed with the next step up in armor and weaponry to Carapace armor and Gauss.

At this point, I'm pretty much past the point where I have experience and am largely flying blind in regards to Long War. I'm taking the lessons I've learned so far, and applying my general Enemy Within knowledge and simply flying by the seat of my pants. I know this is no where near an optimal play through, but I'm having fun.

I also desperately need to rebuild the Legion if I'm going to maintain the squad structure of XCOM as it currently stands. I need medics, rocketeers, infantry, and snipers especially, but I'm pretty much just short on troops since, again, I don't play very well and a lot of soldiers end up in the hospital.

Anyway, I played a head a little and it's going to be a wild ride for the rest of June. The UFOs are going to come hot and heavy. Will XCOM keep up?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Trondheim wrote:So I have to ask, when are our beloved Commander going to start constructing a genetical modification lab and a mec bay?

Genetics lab is next on the list. Mec Bay won't be for a while since it requires more research.

eddieazrael wrote:Hi Scruffy, if it is at all possible to change my look, then could I ask for the following settings (obviously, your game, your rules, so feel free to ignore!) Race 1, Head 9, Skin 6, Hair/Helmet 7, 22, or whatever style you are picking, Hair colour 2, facial hair 1, armour deco your preference, and armour tint 19 - (for that Ultramarines vibe!)
Beyond that, just wanted to say that I'm loving this - you've even got me starting my own game of Enemy Within for the first time!

Thank you Eddie, and I will certainly modify your guy to your specifications once I get back to the game (traveling for the weekend.)

"Bullockist sat in the copter as it lifted away from the drop zone his heavy head resting on his the back of his seat, mouth dry and head pounding as the rush of adrenalin drained from his body leaving behind it the stone cold dullness of reality. Closing his eyes he wondered how much reality he could take now that fighting aliens was a regular thing.

It just didn't seem like reality was real to him any more, Unreality (as he thought of combat missions) just seemed more poigniant now, more primal , it's not like he wasn't crapping himself the whole time he was out there in crazy alien land, it's just that when he came home, things seemed less edgy, less controlled, he had to listen to some chickenshit from upstairs tell him to shine his boots. Who care's about boots when your only doing short search and destroy missions from a fething drop zone, it's not like he was doing fething foot patrols. How many squaddies had to spend days in hospital protecting Major chickenshit whilst he floundered about inspecting trivialities. Bullockist had saved a bullet from his old assault rifle and one of these days he was going to carve MC into the head.

At the thought of Major Chickenshit he fought the urge to spit, and looked at the guy in the next seat, still least the kid did well today although Bullockist wasn't sure if he was going to last the distance as he had some kind of half crazed victorious smile plastered across his youthful scone. Still he didn't know if he himself was going to make it as lately he'd been taking to blocking reality through extended trips to the mess for drinks and surreptitious sips from the small hip flask he now carried everywhere. He might not earn a purple heart if he kept drinking from what he thought as his silver heart , his hands now shook like the oscillating effect of an alcoholic aftershock when he didn't quaff from the flask enough.

He knew it was wrong and betraying his squaddies but he had to do it to get through the "normal" days. Did it make him a bad soldier?It was certainly making his aim worse. He really didn't know and the army was the only place he'd every really knew anything.
Bullockist counted down the hours till they got home and he could find his silver heart in his hand...."

Jeez, the direct action platoon is falling apart… PTSD and alcoholism abounds. Dr. Vahlen knows she can fix it… if only she could get the appropriate … specimens for her experiments...

things were going ok till you only alluded to bullockist getting 2 damage in one mission. I thought why would that be? then i got a perfect solution

Frankenberry cycled the action again on his rifle, crisp action, so clean that even Bradford would be impressed.

And hadn't fired a damn shot in anger.

He set the weapon down on the bench, looking over the mag's set up carefully in stacks to his right. Fully-loaded, ready to rock and roll with full auto for at least a full minute depending on his reloads.

And hadn't fired one round at an E.T. yet.

He frowned, thinking back to the notices of some group of humans fighting XCOM AND the damn aliens; EXALT. No one knew anything about them aside from their equipment and training was eerily similar to an XCOM agent's. Word around the barracks said the commander wanted to take the fight to these guys too, Frankenberry didn't care who he fought though.

He slid each mag into his combat vest, checked his sidearm and it's spare mags, grenades were on his belt, and he picked up the rifle and slapped a magazine into it hard

He'd kill them all. Every. Single. God. Damn. One. Alien, these EXALT ***holes, they all owed a debt, not to XCOM or humanity, but to him, for every single life they took, he would take from them a hundred fold.

"Yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil." He wracked the slide and walked towards the staging area. "For I am the baddest mother****** in the valley."

 Bullockist wrote:
things were going ok till you only alluded to bullockist getting 2 damage in one mission. I thought why would that be? then i got a perfect solution

At this point in the game, Bullockist has a ton of kills. He is one of the deadliest soldiers in XCOM. He excels when XCOM is being rushed. The only issue is that he needs to work on his Cardio, he's slow…. maybe a beer gut?

You said he helped kills, the pics just ever showed it. and after the 2 damage drone thing i was left wondering "what is going on with him"

he just din't feature much , so i kind of started asking why--- and now i have a whole back story,
I love your AAR , I hope my take on bullockist adds to your aar story. a good soldier with problems is even better.

BTW what happens if we die?

I am LOVING all the character arcs. Feel free to make your character how you see fit! Any negative reaction you get from me will be in the spirit of a concerned Bradford or Commander who worries about his troops (Bradford) or a valuable asset (Commander).

Sgt_Scruffy wrote:


Squidhills, I totally forgot to add an avatar for you. You will be in action soon though. *Makes mental note!*

Thanks. Can't wait to get into action against the aliens!

 Bullockist wrote:
You said he helped kills, the pics just ever showed it. and after the 2 damage drone thing i was left wondering "what is going on with him"

he just din't feature much , so i kind of started asking why--- and now i have a whole back story,
I love your AAR , I hope my take on bullockist adds to your aar story. a good soldier with problems is even better.

BTW what happens if we die?

If you die you are dead. I may (repeat, MAY) recycle you as a new recruit if the Dakka Corps becomes depleted to the point that the narrative falls apart. It may be something like an XCOM soldier has to get an expensive Gene mod (like Iron Skin) in order for the genetics lab to clone a new version of Bullockist (or Talizvar or Silver MK2 etc.). They've lost all their hard earned skills, but the genetic person is back.

As for some of the lesser seen Dakka Corps members, They will start to see more action soon. Bullockist soon has his day in the sun…. well, not so much sun as alien terror ship, but you get the idea.

I've been planning on visiting alien terror ship for a while but the cost of plane tickets there is hellishly expensive for whenever I get leave!

I would be happy to take a trip there on uncle xcom's dollar

"mess tent : 21:00
The company was assembled in a time that was quite unlike any usual time inhabited there. Grating grumbles passed through the company, like a whispering wind gathering wrath as they learned it was their rec time, not the officers that was to be given up. Slovenly glances above stained pints marked time as the command and science departments waltzed into the mess. The grunts had barely time to remark "what's this gak about" when Major Illifan gestured for attention, not quiet, but attention....the witch.

Sgt. Scruffy flanked the CO and the hostility felt by the rank and file towards the CO bled onto him.it was just what he feared and it was the erosion of competent leadership by the base chance of birth and money. By just appearing with a hated CO Sgt SCruffy , probably the best NCO in the company had had just cost his command quite a lot, he was secretly hoping he wouldn't be referred to as Sgt. CHickenshit in the future. SGt scruffy,looked after all the men in X-com, he was the essence that bound them all together, the officer above him was chickenshit and the more experienced grunts knew it too, he certainly wasn't getting any favours from the old 27th rifle company. 27th whilst being one of the best rifle companies before the X-com appropriation had contained both Bullockist and Talizvar. Talizvar had readily adapted to X-com life ....Bullockist he'd have to keep an eye on, judging by his previous behaviour a brown eye :/ ... he wasn't going to get anything other than a full load of gak from that old bald bastard.
His revelry halted, SCruffy became aware that the acting CO had gained the center of the men....here it comes he thought.....

Major Illifan halted, using the murmurs of the men, and waited on silence.
"it has come to my attention that whilst the greater part of the force is going well and gelling into an effective combat unit there needs to be more work done.Squads 1, 2 and 4 squads morale are where they should be and are proving to be viable fighting forces. There is an issue with 3rd squad and a considerable lack of morale in non combat time. There may be a court marshall if this behaviour continues.
This is not acceptable, WE are the shield that stands before Terra, all other considerations should pale before the defence of your planet no matter how trivial.
there was silence...
Major IIlfaven droned on " we demand that you give yourselves mind and soul to the defence force, what we ask you, we ask for everyone......"

"bs!" roared one from the group below "did you care about legion 12? or any of the others? they died for you and you are just chucking more of us on the meat grinder , I mean look at Comata, he's all of 18 and he's fighting zappyy aliens. He should be playing football and scoring.
At a gesture the MP's had the culprit in hand, but he bellowed "we die for you, what do you do for us??"

DR Valen threw a pointed gaze at the Major indicating that this one would do for will testing. Catching that gaze, the bald one cursed" keep away from me you mind butcher, haven't the aliens done enough?""

I'm looking forward to heading out again (strange as that sounds, someone has to go I guess and it might as well be me). Didn't do so well on the last mission so hopefully that will change for the better.

Sgt_Scruffy wrote:


As for some of the lesser seen Dakka Corps members, They will start to see more action soon. Bullockist soon has his day in the sun…. well, not so much sun as alien terror ship, but you get the idea.

Mum i dun wanna go! with this whole permadeath thing ( it's wholely reasonable) i'm now scared for my toon wheras before i was looking to what i would kill, I hate you for making me scared of what my ikinda avatar is doing

Nah awesome work you write a real good AAR.

Do your job. Suppress your fear. Your training will take over. Training becomes ingrained and also closing your eye's stepping out the aircraft at 800ft
Remember to keep your feet and knee's together or we be here forever
NSDQ
Watch your Battle Buddy
Drink Water (for there is a pallet of water on every hallway corner)
Paint miniatures as a hobby to handle stress
Read a book
Down Load porn off AFFES provided internet service
Sleep
Ensure all weapons are clean, functional, and dependable
If Clearing Barrels around make sure to clear your weapons
Complacency gets you killed
Don't puke on the floor of Sky Ranger (for you will clean it up)
Indulge yourself in the DFAC by grabbing a sweet treat from KBR mini bakery by the exit door
Wear your Reflector Belts

And always wear clean underwear.

Walk with the burning fury of mankind in your hearth, and drench the earth in the blood of our foes!