See the thing with X-COM is that there isn't really any "off duty" time. The planet is under attack from technologically superior and incredibly resilient aliens. PTO kind of takes back seat, know what I mean?

>>25227302
I'm aware, but it's a tabletop RP, so there needs to be at least some RP going on to make it more than a board game.

The aliens don't provide much RP potential, as they don't really talk much.

>>25227359
Personally, I think you're best bet is to keep all the action and combat for the missions, and keep all the roleplaying when the players are back at HQ. Plenty of scientists, engineers, officers, command staff, and other soldiers to interact with.

Having played a game just like this, look to Ad Eva, and Eureka for ideas. The whole concept of reverse-engineering the alien tech can make for lots of creepyfun moments as various labs have things go wrong, various tech malfunctions, and quarantined lab prisoners make a break for it...

>>25227267
What movie is that gif from??

>>25227426
I've already looked to AdEva, as I'm gonna use modified Dark Heresy for mechanics.

But I'd actually mostly forgotten about alien prisoners. Those will help.

>>25227473
Every time.

>>25227473
TWO question marks? Why?

>>25227473
I think it's one of the Resident Evil movies.

Instead of constant CHARGE INTO BATTLE missions, have some where the players are required to do some investigating. Perhaps in the early parts of the invasion, they have to look into sightings of grays in neighborhoods and try to protect the populace.

Maybe... someone's home-town is a mission location.

Maybe they have to deal with local military.

An experiment by the scientists in the base unleash a psionic radiance throughout the base, warping each soldier's perception of reality.

Briefings and debriefings.

Psychological analysis of the soldiers, to make sure they don't go crazy from what's going on.

Training at the base.

Roll perception for someone who's been mind controlled previously. You swear you saw something wiggling in your food.

Have the characters families write to them (which will hopefully make things more dramatic if a home-town is ever attacked).

Group's sent on a mission to retrieve a human psychic. Mission can go horribly wrong depending on negotiations.

So on, so forth.

Throw in some scientist moments, maybe have the group do quests for them, or answer questions pertaining to their work to affect the outcome.

Throw in some extended hostage missions where they have to interact with one another and save NPCs.

Have their troop transport get hit and crashed off course so they need to find a way back to HQ.

So many ideas.

>>25227473

Boku no pico

>>25227473
Cabin in the woods.
>>25227267
Why don't you just make the aliens talk, put your own spin on the world.

When they are at the barracks getting missions, have interaction with the men in the halls, ect. Have them go around the cities, interact with random helpless civilians for little side quests and such. Is what i'd do.

I ran an X-com game using DH awhile back and it went pretty good. I only wish only war had been out back there would of been so easier.

The biggest hit was the NPCS I filled the base with. Before and after a mission many hours were spent getting to know the armory officer or the mission commander.. ect. It also helped that their new friends could help them in various ways so the added combat bonuses helped the PCs make that first step in getting to know them and then they liked the NPCs on a personal level so the connection only deepened.

One of the biggest non-combat arcs I had was the players taking part in a fund-raising campaign after a particular mission ended in disaster. It was like 3-4 sessions of a weird mix of sporting events, educational drive, comedy and generally trying to be public heroes.

>>25227521
Wut.

It's Cabin in the Woods.

>>25227538
>>25227527
Now these are what I'm looking for.

>>25227580
Oh, you've run this?

Please, do storytime it.

So what system are we talking about?

>>25227518
To put emphasis on it..

>>25227654
Dark Heresy/Only War seem easy enough to modify, as the level and skill systems seem fitting and the combat strikes me as X-COM-like too.

All I really have to do is change up the trait list, modify psychic powers, and stat the aliens and weapons.

Maybe have them play as soldiers on the field and in between missions they can play as scientists/engineers/officers.

>>25227605
Sadly I am not a good writer so it would take me forever to make a story. If you wanted I could go into some of the NPCs.

One thing though I recommend is make the game fucking lethal. I don't know if you know DH but for the aliens there basic gun was a metal gun with a plasma gun range. I had all the players make 2-3 characters most of which died but after 3ish missions I whittled it down it down enough to have a cast of decently leveled dudes who could survive.

Wait man if you don't see how downtime can be filled with crazy shenanigans you may not be man enough for this mission

>>25228312
I know that it can, I just made this thread for said whacky mission ideas.

>>25227473
It's from Cabin in the Woods, a deconstructive horror movie that's actually GOOD.

If you haven't seen it, I really suggest that you do.

>>25227267
I've actually run a game similar in tone to X-Com, although at the time I wasn't aware that X-Com was a thing, so...

It was set in the early 1920s and the players were Agents of BETA, the Bureau of Extra-Terrestrial Affairs, under the command of Director Howard Phillips - obviously inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. They did everything from fighting Fungi from Yuggoth to aiding Nicola Tesla as he built a machine to repel the Colour out of Space to tracking down and stopping an alien saboteur who was mixing mutagens into bootleg hooch. We played using NEMESIS, an ORE-system that handles horror and insanity very well, in addition to having mechanics built in for accumulated injuries.

Basically if someone could transcribe X-Com's psi abilities, weaponry, etc. into the 40kRPG system (Dark Heresy, Only War, etc.) that would be the best solution

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>>25228502
>BETA.

>>25228672
Hey, man, BETA kicked a lot of ass in their time.

Have you ever pushed back an incursion of Tindalosian Hounds while trapped in a hedge-maze?

(Although I did consider re-branding them 'Delta' so that I could use the Δ symbol. I couldn't come up with something for the L, though, in Department of Extra-Terrestrial {something} Affairs.)

>>25228789
That'd be DETLA

Could work for a comedy-ish game where X-Com stand-in has such a low budget they can't even afford a name that's spelled right

>>25228789
Easy
DE(L)TA. The L doesn't have corresponding word, it's just done for convenience's sake.

>>25228856
... aw, crud!

You're right!

Maybe they're the West-Coast branch.

"Welcome to DELTA."

"Sir, the sign says 'DETLA'."

"You just earned yourself a night in the brig."

>>25228789
My group called ourselves the OPI, the Office of Paranormal Investigation. Our org's motto was oremus pro invicem, or 'let us pray for each other.'

wasnt there a X-Com Comic or something from /tg/....

there was like, pretty qtpie soldier/scientist/tank driver/commander and such.

ANYWAY

>>25227267

This is the historic, begin all end all let's play for x-com: UFO Defense.

By the time you're done reading it you should have plenty of ideas of how to run an x-com campaign on and off the battlefield.

http://lparchive.org/X-COM-UFO-Defense/

>>25228947
Holy shit, that's brilliant.

friends dying all day
should have a panic/morale mechanic somehow (though PC's should be better at it)

Maybe plot line of 'where does all those sectoid bodies go when you sell them?' Honestly, when i churn out infinate ammo laser cannons all day every day, you'd think earth have enough weapons to defend themselves better

>>25228789
What about logistics

Delta Green.

It's got sectoids, snakemen, and a bunch of suitable creatures for terror from the deep.

And the sanity system fits with rookies panicking and shooting everyone in the face.

>>25229071
That'd work, but it breaks up Extra-Terrestrial.

I was making a screw-up; DELTA doesn't work.

>>25228947
>>25228856


>>Devil Busting rarely follows a nine-to-five schedule, and there is no overtime pay.

>>Meals are not provided by The Agency. Devil Busters must pack their own lunch. We ask that you bring plastic utensils only; please refer to the State Devil Busting Code under section 436B [PSI Users/Scanners/Quantum Quasibeings]

>>Drug tests are mandatory; all prescriptions must be approved by the Master Arbiter first. Use of any substance which erodes the boundaries between consensus reality and the infinite consciousness is strictly prohibited; please refer to the State Devil Busting Code under section 135C [Psychological Limiters And You: It's The Law]

>>Your hard hat, asbestos coveralls, corruption-resistant polymer bodysuit, psi-barrier, steel toed work boots, anointed amulet of the True Cross, and safety goggles must be worn at all times. Failure to comply will result in immediate termination. Safety is everyone's responsibility!

>>It is required to carry an Emergency Kit on all job sites (w/ .38 revolver, two bullets, three cyanide capsules, and a copy of the holy book of your choosing). Failure to comply will result in immediate termination.

>>Each Devil Buster will work alongside a "buddy". Immediate termination must be enacted on your assigned "buddy" following an infraction of safety code within thirty minutes (Regulation allowance for making peace with their God). Return to the requisition point afterward to receive a new "buddy". Failure to comply will result in immediate termination.

>>Devil Busters receive no health insurance or dental benefits. Devil Busters are responsible for their own treatment out of pocket following possession/unholy fusion/chthonic terror incidents.

>>Devil Busters suffer a high incidence of chronic lower back injury as well as maddening visions of the emptiness of the hereafter. Devil Busters should also be screened regularly for prostate cancer.

>>Devil Busting does not make you feel good.

Quick question, do your players know that it's gonna be X-COM?
Because you could do a horror/investigation plotline as the PC soldiers slowly figure out what's going on.
Like in the beginning, never give them direct, spotlight contact with aliens. Keep them in the dark about what they're fighting, and as you go along slowly reveal, through combat missions and their own investigations around the base, what's really going on.

>>25229104
Disruptive Entity Liquidation Task Agency.

>>25229357
Mind if I borrow that?

>>25229383
Go ahead.

>>25229295
They know it's X-COM, but only one of the people has played any of the games to my knowledge.

Plus, I could always throw in some new aliums if I wanted to confuse the PCs, or just use the TFTD ones.

Being an x-com rookie sucks, but at least they're not one of the fighter pilots.

"I don't care if you've got 1 cannon left. We need that battleship down!"

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>>25229104
>>25228789
Department of Extra-Lunar and Terrestrial Affairs

>>25227559
YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

>>25229530
Oooh.

Shit, now I wanna try this, but the issue remains:

How does the GM introduce the lethality of the games without killing off the PCs too early? Admittedly at least one PC has to die, or maybe even half, but I don't want to make a player die each mission.

Maybe start the players off with some experience (if using DH/OW), and say they're Sergeant's Officers, and possibly give them Personal Armor (Armor 4 All). Or possibly use weaker plasma weapons, like in Enemy Unknown?

>>25229868
See
>>25227751
to expand on that I gave them guard armor renamed to military armor and standard autoguns, some nades, they also had one missile launcher and a demo charge. Another important thing to note is that cover straight up absorbed one hit from an alien weapon before being destroyed.

>>25229868
Battlescars and 'dummy-guide' character sheets

Battlescars: if a character would die, the player may instead accept a nasty handicap resulting in the character's utility being reduced by the injury in an appropriate way - depending on the system this could run from purely RP mechanisms such as behavioral tics and neuroses all the way to statistical reductions and special malus effects for games with more wargaming elements.

Dummy Guide Character Sheets: a basic statline is fixed with minor allowance for customization allowed based on the PC's particular battlefield role or personality quirk - these sheets can be made up in tiers so that players re-rolling only suffer a small dip in ability but remain at nearly the same level
>should the party continually fail or the organisation be hampered, replacement dummy-sheets would be reduce in tier
this feature could even tie directly into the combat readiness of the NPC grunts reinforcing the party

>>25229978

Multiple characters sounds like the best way to go.

So, statlines for the base weapons (that is: pistol, rifle, Heavy Cannon, Autocannon, Rocket Launder, Grenade, High Explosive, Proximity Mine, Smoke Grenade, and Stun Rod).

Should I start writing them up?

>>25230454
Sure, go for it.

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You need to survey other games in the genre. Delta Green is the best. Conspiracy-X is also good. Dark Conspiracy has it's moments. Dark Matter/Alternity was surprisingly good.

A lot of the original X-Com was an economy game with the research and manufacturing aspect.

There are plenty of combat and non-combat missions you can go on that don't involve aliens at all.

Some warlord in bumfuckistan wants to buy 12 black market laser cannons and mount them on the back pickup trucks? Guess what, shit went down right after the handoff and now you're in the middle of a civil war and have to get your crate full of hundred-dollar bills back to the skyranger, because payday's tomorrow and the scientists and engineers haven't been paid in a three months.

Joe Redneck's farm was in the path of the wreckage of that scout the flyboys shot down last week, and found an alien computer in a crater in his backyard that's miraculously intact? How are you going this paranoid conspiracy nut to hand it over to you guv'ment types without this turning into ruby ridge?

>>25230497

Back, here we go.

These are based on Dark Heresy statlines, by the way:

X-COM Pistol Mk1
>Class: Pistol
>Range: 30m
>RoF: S/4/-
>Damage: 1d10+3
>Penetration: 0
>Clip: 12
>Reload: Full Round
>Special: Reliable
>Weight: 2.5 kg (loaded) 2.0 kg (empty)
>Cost: $800 (1 credit = $10.00 ???)

>>25230855
>clip

>>25230855

X-COM Rifle Mk 1
>Class: SP, Basic
>Range: 70m
>RoF: S/4/8
>Damage: 1d10+3 I
>Penetration: 1
>Clip: 20
>Reload: Full Round
>Special: Accurate
>Weight: 4.0 kg (loaded) 3.5 kg (empty)
>Cost: $1000 (different from the games, I know, just for balence's sake).

>>25230877
The rulebook calls it a clip, actually. Deal w/ it.

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>>25230877
>>25230897
Most people IRL call pistol mags 'clips', even the legal jargon mentions 'clips', IIRC namely in the bans.

>mfw extended magazines are allowed by legal loophole because people are fucking morons
>my face is a flock of flying penguins

>>25228384
>a deconstructive horror movie that's actually GOOD.
If I didn't expect it to be "SCP: THE MOVIE" I probably would have enjoyed it. Instead I spent the ENTIRE MOVIE waiting for SCP Foundation antics and was sincerely disappointing.
If I didn't know anything about the movie going into it, I probably would have enjoyed it rather than building up hype for myself.

>>25230925
What's wrong with extended magazines?

I've always imagined that the Interrogations involve having a few X-COM Operatives in the room, in case shit hits the fan and they have to drop the alien before it can do any damage. This probably wouldn't happen all that often, but just imagine a Muton breaking free of it's restraints in close-quarters.

>>25230897

X-COM Heavy Cannon
>Class: SP, Heavy
>Range: 80m
>RoF: S/-/-
>Damage (AP Rounds): 1d10+6 I
>Damage (HE Rounds): 1d10+6 X
>Damage (IN Rounds): 1d10+3 E
>Penetration (AP Rounds): 3
>Penetration (HE Rounds): 1
>Penetration (IN Rounds): 5
>Clip: 6
>Reload: 2 Full Rounds
>Special (HE Rounds): Blast(3)
>Special (IN Rounds): Blast (4)
>Cost: $3000

>>25230753
wat.

i have xcom ufo defense installed and none of that shit exists. are you talking about another game entirely?

>>25230897
Also, why are rifles dealing the same levels of damage as pistols?

Pistol rounds can be lodged into the body and left there, multiple rounds may do so. Rifle cartridges put enough power behind their projectiles to make impacts near-fatal at best; bones will be broken, organs shredded, hydrostatic shock can and will kill from a single round.

If translating this into DH mechanics, rifle-powered weapons (there are rifles that fire pistol-powered cartridges and vice versa) should be able to look at your Toughness bonus and sniff before dropping you at or near low-end crit values

>>25230938
"assault weapons" bans target extended magazines and other ancillary features

>>25230958
I think he means to add flavor to buy/sell operations, have a few be roleplayed with the PC squad and have a small proportion of those missions be "just another milk run"

>>25230975
>"assault weapons" bans target extended magazines and other ancillary features
my bad, they target "extended clips"

>>25230955

>heavy cannon has longer range than a battle rifle

what

>>25230975

In game, they differed by about 4 points of AP damage. I decided that is close enough. And honestly, I'm just doing this because I think it's fun, and if you want to bring up an issue with these stats, please do.

>>25231024

I always imagined the Heavy Cannon to be a grenade launcher of sorts. What range do you think they should be?

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I remember from the original XCOM that sometimes "Agents" would locate hidden alien bases for you to assault. I always imagined that this involved some kind of spy work or investigations of alien sympathizers or sleeper agents.

The aliens would also negotiate and sign pacts with earth governments. You could make a mission out of persuading or "persuading" leaders to reject the aliens' offers.

>>25230975
>I think he means to add flavor to buy/sell operations, have a few be roleplayed with the PC squad and have a small proportion of those missions be "just another milk run"
>Selling laser cannons to the Russian mafia
>Suddenly ambushed by 8 thugs, 3 of which are ex-spetznas and the leader is an ex-KGB operative
Oh hell yeah.

>>25231041
Woops left my name on.

>>25231046
I don't even try anymore, not since Anontech left.

>>25231036
Well if a proper rifle has a 70m range and the Cannon is to be a grenade launcher type?
>45m, give or take

So here's the question.

Do the public know about the alien invasions?

I mean, sure there's rumours, abduction cases, weird lights in the sky. But have the governments confirmed it?

Personally, I think secrecy presents some interesting options.

- Having to wine and dine corporate sponsors to provide funding, equipment and manpower. Without letting them discover why you need it.

- Alien Materiel have been spotted in untrained hands. Perhaps sectoid weapons have been found in a gang war, or maybe a terrorist cell is building a bomb with Elerium. You've got to find them, get the materiel back, and find out how it got leaked.

- It's Election Day! Or rather it was, and now you've got to deal with a new leader of one of X-com's supporting nations. You've been selected for the lucky, lucky job of filling in members of their new cabinet, or even the leader themself.
Now you have to inform the leader of the fact that aliens exist. That they pose a grave threat to the human race. And you could really do with some increased funding.

>>25231105
It wouldn't be too hard to keep it wrapped up. That is, until the first terror mission. After that? It's all hands on deck.

>>25230955

X-COM Autocannon
>Class: SP, Heavy
>Range: 60m
>RoF: S/-/7
>Damage (AP Rounds): 1d10+4 I
>Damage (HE Rounds): 1d10+5 X
>Damage (IN Rounds): 1d10+2 E
>Penetration (AP Rounds): 2
>Penetration (HE Rounds): 0
>Penetration (IN Rounds): 5
>Clip: 14
>Reload: 3 Full Rounds
>Special (AP Rounds): Unreliable, Inaccurate
>Special (HE Rounds): Blast(2), Unreliable, Inaccurate
>Special (IN Rounds): Blast(2), Unreliable, Inaccurate
>Weight: 6.5 kg (loaded), 5.5 kg (empty)
>Coast: $4000

And the Weight of the Heavy Cannon is 6.0 kg loaded, 5.0 kg empty.

Most of these assume a more satirical tone for your campaign (sort of like Paranoia) but these can be made to work for a serious game.

-Bureaucratic meddling. The PCs have to fight the toughest battle of them all - with government lobbyists at the next UN General Assembly!

-Internal infiltration by national/political/terrorist/alien cultist organizations - PCs discover evidence of high level infiltration and conspiracy.

-Containment breach! Alien(s) have escaped their containment cell in xeno-holding.

-One of the prison guards has developed... affectionate feelings for one of the Sectoid prisoners. PCs must investigate whether this is a case of subtle mind control or possibly... romance? (not intended for a serious game)

-In appreciation of their efforts, upper management is throwing a party, and in a rare gesture of goodwill is allowing a drinks bar. Hijinks ensue.

-Surprise inspection catches the base staff flat-footed.

-Technical fault causes base to lose power. A regular accident or sabotage?

-Miners hollowing out a new section discover a vast new cave complex. Are they ancient ruins? Alien networks? A secret base so secret that even X-COM doesn't have any records?

>>25231131

X-COM Rocket Launcher
>Class: Launchers, Heavy
>Range: 125m
>RoF: S/-/-
>Damage (Sm Rocket): 2d10+2 X
>Damage (Lg Rocket): 3d10+1 X
>Damage (IN Rocket): 1d10+8 E
>Penetration (Sm Rocket): 4
>Penetration (Lg Rocket): 7
>Penetration (IN Rocket): 5
>Clip: 1
>Reload: 2 Full Rounds
>Special: (Sm Rocket): Accurate, Blast(5)
>Special (Lg Rocket): Accurate, Blast(7)
>Special (IN Rocket): Accurate, Blast(4)
>Weight: 7.0 kg (loaded), 6.0 kg (empty)

>>25230958

Once you get deeper into the original UFO Defense, an advanced strategy was to start manufacturing stuff in bulk and selling it on the black market to fund X-Com, because just being funded by the world's nations and selling alien gizmos doesn't generate enough money fast enough. Laser Cannons were the most popular choice because they generated the highest profit margin for anything you could churn out that didn't cost elerium or alien alloys.

This lead to fans wondering what was happening to all these laser cannons you were selling on the black market. The best/most humorous theory was that there were a bunch of warlords running around the third world with laser cannons on the backs of technicals.

Go classic XCOM and make some alien occult humans for them to fight, also what system are you using?

>>25229295
I did that. They thought they were playing run-of-the-mill CoC but they *just happened to be* working for the FBI.

Then I tossed a Grey at them. Before they knew it, they were hiding a Grey corpse in a bathtub full of ice in their motel room and it all ended in Unmarked Helicopters and Men in Black with assault rifles (and a not enough fingers to pass off as human)

>>25231236

X-COM Frag Grenade
>Class: Thrown
>Range: Str Bonus * 3
>Rof: S/-/-
>Damage: 1d10+7 X
>Penetration: 0
>Clip: -
>Reload: -
>Special: Blast(4)
>Weight: 0.5 kg

>>25231300
Personally, I'm running homebrew in my head for d20 and Storyteller, other Anon is making those weapon statblocks for Only War/Dark Heresy

>>25231318

X-COM Proximity Mine
>Class: Thrown
>Range: Str Bonus * 3
>RoF: S/-/-
>Damage: 1d10+7 X
>Penetration: 3
>Clip: -
>Reload: -
>Special: Blast(2)
>Weight: 0.8kg

You should make a houserule for how the grenade is activated, btw. Maybe have someone set it off within a single meter?

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OP I have a question. Are you using the aesthetics and stats of the UFO Defense or the new Enemy Unknown aliens?

>>25231236
The incendiary rocket should have the Flame tag.

Thanks, /tg/, you've been a great help as always.

>>25231417
I've only played UFO Defense, so I'm going by that.

Might pick up EU some time, though.

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>>25227559

But this isn't /a/, silly.

>>25231425
No. Flame weapons use an angled template. Fire bombs, which are molotov cocktails, do not use the Flame tag.

>>25231452
EU has more of an RPG aspect when it comes to the soldiers. It's also more linear, but it's actually pretty well done.
Heavies are useless though

I'm running an XCom-alike. Did a trick where every player has a permanent character without stats on an important position like Head Engineer - for diplomancy with possible allies and decision about how the organisation will develop - and a pool of rookies with simple personalities to choose from every mission. Works well so far.

>>25231480
>Heavies useless
MY BALLS THEY ARE, sniper+a couple heavies = insta win on the hardest difficulty.

>>25231480

If EU had better mod support, it would be the greatest thing ever. 2K deliberately stifled it though.

What I've actually heard is that Firaxis has unreleased version that's just a direct port of UFO defense into EU's graphics.

I would pay so much money

>>25231532
You could look at Xenonauts, if you're willing to not have human psionics or blaster bombs

Oh, come on. We ALL know what system X-Com would use.

Paranoia.

>>25231549

I've seen it and got excited, but it's sure taken its time.

>>25231556

Well both sure have a lot of idiots shooting other idiots who are supposed to be their buddies with laser guns.

>>25231385

X-COM Stun Rod
>Class: Melee, Shock
>Damage: 1d10+2 E (Don't forget to add the Str Bonus!)
>Penetration: 0
>Special: Shocking
>Weight: 3.0kg
>Cost: $1000

Cost for Grenade: $150.
Cost for Proximity Mine: $450.

>>25231477
That's what the spray tag does, flame weapons set targets on fire on hit if they fail an agility test, unless tags work differently in different books.

Who cares about grenades when you can have high explosives?

No X-Com soldier should be without a brick of C-4. Especially when you patch the game to allow you to blow holes in the sides of UFOs with it.

>>25231480
When you need to take out an outsider in full cover, and all your other shots have missed, you'll be glad a heavy's in range.

I've run a X-Com campaign with good success until recently.

* BSG it up a bit.

* Make sure there are other factions that occasionally do things. Sell laser rifles to the mob? It may come bite you in the ass.

>>25231591
Maybe in Only War, which I've yet to read. I've only looked into DH, and in both the Player's Handbook and Inquisitor's Handbook, there is no Spray tag.

>>25231584

X-COM High Explosive
>Class: Thrown
>Damage: 3d10+5 X
>Penetration: 7

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>>25231605
>tfw you fired off a blaster launcher for the first time
Holy shit, it's like holding the cock of an angry god of war.

Wait a fucking minute what if you used Necromunda to run an xcom game?

>>25231635

Shit, didn't finish.

X-COM High Explosive
>Class: Thrown
>Range: Str Bonus * 2
>RoF: S/-/-
>Damage: 3d10+8 X
>Penetration: 7
>Clip: -
>Reload: -
>Special: Blast(7)
>Weight: 2.0kg
>Cost: $1200

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Which era of X-Com is this? Brutal, old-school X-Com, or revamped, slick, Enemy Unknown X-Com?

>>25231480
Honestly supports and assaults are all I need. Heavies are only useful for taking out all of the shitty machines you have to deal with. Even then gangbang it with crit assaults and it's game over. Supports and assaults are the fastest classes so repositioning is easy and supports have access to surpressive fire (and with the ability do it better than heavies) and can heal and lay smokes. Assaults are just rape machines up close or at a distance they'll handle anything and everything.

>>25231716

X-COM Smoke Grenade
>Class: Thrown
>Range: Str Bonus * 4
>RoF: S/-/-
>Damage: 0
>Penetration: 0
>Clip: -
>Reload -
>Special: Smoke
>Weight: 0.5 kg
>Cost: $100

>>25231764


That's it for the base weapons. Should I continue?

>>25231784
Sure, go on. I'm here all night.

If you need good ideas for between mission fluffing an X-Com game, there's a great X-Com Let's Play up on the Let's Play Archive. Shows how the game can really hold a story if you want it to.

>>25231753
See
>>25231452

>>25231556

Paranoia for a satirical game; Dark Heresy/Only War for a more serious (but still brutal) one.

>>25231838

Okay, onto Laser Weaponry.
X-COM Laser Pistol
>Class: Las, Pistol
>Range: 45m
>RoF: S/5/10
>Damage: 1d10+4 E
>Penetration: 2
>Clip: -
>Reload: -
>Special: Reliable
>Weight: 3.0kg
>Cost: $3500

>>25231532
they were asked by multiple groups to release that version but whats his face that wanted to put sids name on the box (the head developer guy with the block head) said no...as badly as I want the direct port I don't blame him

Hey OP, are you ever going to address or make a joking reference to XCOM's laser cannon and alien corpse sales?

>>25232035
it has been done though I am too lazy to crawl back up the read to quote it for you...somewhere in the middle and again a little closer to the bottom (however I am not OP)

>>25232035
>>25232080
>I think he means to add flavor to buy/sell operations, have a few be roleplayed with the PC squad and have a small proportion of those missions be "just another milk run"
>Selling laser cannons to the Russian mafia
>Suddenly ambushed by 8 thugs, 3 of which are ex-spetznas and the leader is an ex-KGB operative

>>25232109
yea that...also the bit about nig nogs and kebabs with lazer cannons on the back of their trucks.

>>25232181
like, forty-five seconds of scrolling, here, backlinks should be able to get you anything I missed
>>25231246
>Once you get deeper into the original UFO Defense, an advanced strategy was to start manufacturing stuff in bulk and selling it on the black market to fund X-Com, because just being funded by the world's nations and selling alien gizmos doesn't generate enough money fast enough. Laser Cannons were the most popular choice because they generated the highest profit margin for anything you could churn out that didn't cost elerium or alien alloys.
>This lead to fans wondering what was happening to all these laser cannons you were selling on the black market. The best/most humorous theory was that there were a bunch of warlords running around the third world with laser cannons on the backs of technicals.

>>25232209
thanks...also dose your trip pronounce like the russian word for bitch on purpose?

>>25232209
The thought of a bunch of Somalis with a laser cannon jerry-rigged to a Ford Ranger has always made me laugh.

>>25232022

X-COM Laser Rifle
>Class: Las, Basic
>Range: 90m
>RoF: S/3/8
>Damage: 1d10+7 E
>Penetration: 3
>Clip: -
>Reload: -
>Special: Reliable, Accurate
>Weight: 3.0 kg
>Cost: $6000

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>>25232225
ALIENS TERRORIZE
Johannesburg

>>25232225
laugh if you will but I bet lots of countries yank their funding when they find out your arming their enemies....

>>25232242

Okay, I'm tired. I'm going to bed now.

>>25232224
No, I don't speak Russian, though I do frequent /d/ under the pseudonym of StretchArmstrong; if you know that name then you know why it's mention is relevant to your comment.

>>25232286
>its
goddamn, it's late

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>>25232259
>implying that somalia would be donating money to UN XCOM.
>implying that they probably extort additional money with veiled threats of joining the aliens

>>25232286
that moment when you realize you really are a /d/eviant because you recognize some namefags trip and understand why it matters...**que flashback** "remember baby there are bad people on the internet so be careful" "ok mom I will"...I am the bad people on the internet...I am sorry mom

>>25232315
I was replying to the americans not being happy about all of the terrorists in somalia getting advanced weaponry

>>25232339
Hey, so long as we get our cut of the action, it's all good.

I wonder what they do with all the alien corpses XCOM sells? Sure, one or two might end up at John's Hopkins or UCLA, but I bet most of them ended up with rich Chinese oligarchs who grind them up for sex pills

>>25232420
hmmmm I am not so sure about that, XCOM seems fairly self sufficient....as I suppose it would have to be seeing as council nations are busy fighting their own wars (at the very latest after the first terror mission) I would guess that in reality just like where most of their weapons are actually going the bodies are going to other peoples research projects...HELL a smart xcom commander would probably ship some of that stuff off to other NGO's that most likely pop up as well...although I could easily see stuff like computers and energy sources and I guess to some degree bodies ending up on the private market? I mean how much dick do you think boeing would suck to see even a glimpse of what makes the UFO's do what they do

>>25227267

Off the books work against humans who've made themselves enemies.

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>>25232326
I have to wonder, though you should feel no need to answer, which one are you?

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>>25232495
deal with some shitheads at the bar for a feel-good brawl after a tough mission where Jones was acting strangely and you had to put him down

>>25232499
im not a named /d/eviant I have not been on that much...just enough to feel a little awkward sometimes..."trust the boner" I guess

>>25227267
You have three options as I see it.

Either make it base oriented roleplaying with the players acting as local guards following the everyday life, lab outbreaks, wierd explosions/alien sabotage in the engineering bay, base attacks by aliens releasing terror units into the base, combating protesters from the outside and so forth.

Secondly you can make it a very combat focused game in the field but since that would be much mroe about strategy and very little about roleplaying, I dont recommend this.

Thirdly, remember all those alien artifacts and weapons you sold? Remember that you never really got to know who you sold them to? If you played further x-com games (not the newest one), it was revealed that it was basically a "dont ask, dont tell" approach with regards to who bought what - so basically, x-com was selling super high tech weaponry to drug barons, gangs and rogue states. You could make games in this where the players are basically repo-men trying to find out who bought particularily sensitive equipment which caused problems, reflecting badly back on x-com. This would naturally be more spy-ish.

I had a campaign with the first one and it was great fun.

>>25232521
I am not OP but I am kind of tempted to maybe put together an XCOM quest for /tg/ now...maybe I will play around with the idea, but don't expect anything soon not from me at least

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>>25232521

>>25232527
actually maybe you can help me workshop this at least in EU why exactly dose this base exist? at least if we assume (as I think is safe) that the XCOM project was thrown together last minute out of desperation and has not always existed in some MIB fashion...what exactly is this underground facility..I mean at least part of it had to already exist...old cold war bunker?

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>>25232524
>>25232545
Oh, what wonders we have to show you.

>>25232534
Suggest we command a couple members of a squad. The whole "three lives and you're out" deal so the original lethality and lack of hand-holding can be put into almost-full-swing.

>>25232545
and than it grabs a hat and a cain and starts singing...told that guy not to have the special

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>>25232556
>hello my baby, hello my honey, hello my ragtime gaaal~

>>25232553
I was actually thinking of letting you guys play the roll of the commander and kick it off with his recruitment into the project...have the lethality be in effect by giving you "realistcly" limited resources and personal, and make the quest very very losable....IDK I have just always thought that the commander had such an interesting and emotional story to tell...maybe its better fitted for a journal style fan fiction? or maybe I just toss in a reporter who has been selected to world war z style archive in case humanity somehow survives? ..

>>25232553
also...god damnit /d/ I went with one very specific very /d/ fetish and I have yet to even it have it satisfied instead I just end up with all kinds of new fetishes...though I think my taste are not quite /d/ just a little to tame for /d/ but not quite tame enough for any other /?/

>>25232590
That could work. I'm more of the mud-n-blood footslogger type, myself, but commander would be a good choice for MC

>>25232602
Tell me about it, I've had to shorten my fetish list to:
>please see list of hard limits for items subject to periodic temperament

So, using the Only War system (as a kind anon started statting items) and (most likely) a 'homebrewed' version of the rules, one could set up XCOM: EU as a P&P RPG.

Now, the question is: How do I introduce them to it without telling them "Yeah, we're killing aliens"
I'm thinking bringing the players to the game under the veil of "gubmint agents killin teh commies for MUH FREEDOMS", with the invite of "Hey folks, I invite you all to my new game, it's about playing Special Forces and killing teh commies. All pretty straightforward. We're gonna play using the ruleset from Only War, a 40k roleplaying game, but I want you to pay no mind to the 40k label, much less the setting. For all intents and purposes, the game is dateline: Next Tuesday. Everyone decides on the country we work for (ie: regiment) and the classes are: Weapons Specialist, Operator, Heavy Gunner, Medic, Sergeant, and Special Agent Stormtrooper . The missions will range from simple assaults to VIP escort to Black Ops. Now, I'm not saying the game will have a twist, but I'm saying it will. Interested?"

I'm thinking of even making character handouts with weapon specs, data, Courier New font, and black highlighter all over. How does it sound?

>>25232637
....I am not sure If I should tell you that I am both the newfag/shamedfag to /d/ and the guy toying around with the campaign idea...and yea I would have to find someway to still give it that mud and blood and death and doom and terror of what that war would be like....maybe play it just like the game? and give you a squad for missions? or at least one squad member to play as and if he dies introduce the FNG

>>25232679
>I am not sure If I should tell you
I'm a harmless sub, worry about the rest of the Anons

>maybe play it just like the game? and give you a squad for missions? or at least one squad member to play as and if he dies introduce the FNG
Squad Sergeant should be your mouthpiece in that case, let us take care of the Rookie on combat missions - you narrate any (really fucking rare) direct interactions between Rookie and Commander PCs based on how we play?

>>25232552
It was not "thrown together in the last minute" - it was there for a long time but the program was very low key and barely able to survive until the UFOs started coming. I guess in a game, you could just say that it is an old re-purposed military base in the mountains somewhere. When aliens showed up, shit hit the fan and countries overran each other to throw money at x-com which enabled them to massively upgrade their armament.

>>25232709
pretty much yea, though I don't actually see those two ever interacting directly unless you guys somehow defy all odds and the rookie lives long enough to become a squad leader...which honestly no. Though How well you guys do (or how fucked you guys get) on missions should and would have massive effects on the Commander PC's tactical/political/social/moral decisions....hmmm a quick question pre first terror mission do you think the alien conflict would be kept secret?

>>25232724
so what was X-com doing before the war really kicked off? I dealing with smaller alien incursions? training as a response to the roswell crash/the tunguska event/nazi contact with aliens/battling thin men?/etc etc etc?

>>25232768
SETI basically. Now that they found out that ET wasnt a cute cuddly fellow, they kinda upped the ante and got guns and tanks

>>25232798
when I was younger it really bothered me that the film ET never really addressed why the people chasing it in the beginning of the film were so different than the Guv types that showed up later on

>>25232798
But you can always fluff it so that they also took care of Roswell and the other small non-violent recon missions the aliens did. They didnt know the aliens would be agressive and there was no real indication of it until the invasion started so thats why the X-COM project was so horridly under-funded

>>25232819
or why they made such a big deal about shaking their keys,,,,

>>25232822
true, I assume the first encounter with thin men would also be rather interesting...For the purpose of a quest I could also go the other way with it, and have the commander not be recruited until after the invasion? (being as if the group was fluffed to deal with the non violent interactions than they would not start off with a military leader in such a key role?)

>>25232224
Russian word for bitch is Suka, not Stuka.

>>25229021
The original X-Com/UFO Defense had an inventory system and required you to carry ammunition for each weapon. Though I love the new XCOM, I miss the old Time Units and inventory system because it added to the suspense.

>>25232863
So both the FNG and the XO are fresh blood to the whole organization? That would save the QM from ahving to gives us all the info up-front and let us, as both characters, learn the ins and outs of X-COM

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>>25232874
But Suka sounds so cute and adorable?

>>25232655
So to expand on this, how should their first mission go? I'm thinking starting with some classy, elaborate-looking Apocalypse Now scenario in Somalia, then, just as they burst into the warlord's throne room they find him, standing there catatonic as a Sectoid Commander mindcontrols him

>>25232874
they sounded close enough that I thought it could be a reference.

>>25232875
True, the operating opeartor feel got replaced by a GI Joe-esque group of heroes. Then again, UFO Defense essentially became Xavier's School for the Gifted during the later months.

>>25232923
To clarify, my tripcode wasn't made to elicit that series of letters on purpose.

>>25232863
Well one of the games I had with x-com started in an office building. I had the players make normal working people where one was a janitor, two were office monkies and one was the lunch lady. Their office building was the first place where the aliens attacked. The players didnt know it would be an x-com game so they didnt have any combat skills at all and had to band together and hide in a broom closet while sectoids and snakemen completely ravaged the place and torched it. The army arrived to find everyone but the PCs dead and the players were interrogated to hell and back.

Because the PCs were the first (and only people) to have seen real life aliens, they were sent along on the next mission so they could stay in the back and guide the troops together with the officer. Obviously the soldiers rushed in and died and it was up to the PCs to save the day and eventually they were trained and promoted to soldiers and then further on to rise in the ranks.

It was pretty fun but it should really have been a board game after the first two sessions.

>>25232894
That was my goal. And as I stated before I just have an incredible infatuation with what the human cost of being the Commander of X-com must be. All the death, stress, and almost literally the weight of the entire world on your shoulders. The FNG of course allows for a different can of worms entirely

>>25232923
I know Stuka only as a German plane Junkers 87 Stuka.

>>25232908
Yeah, all those Japanese names, like Asuka, sounds funny to Russians.

>>25232949
Unless someone in your party said "they mostly come at night...mostly" than I am rather upset with them

>Game begins with the players as FBI agents sent to investigate disappearances, X-Files style

>Plot turns to uncovering spies within the UN

>Then turns to the begin of X-Com

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>>25232943
>>25232923
>>25232951

Oh fuck, my trip, not the code, hah

I took 'Stuka' from the MechEngineer quests since I was the guy who had the bright idea of turning the jump jets on the Phobos into war sirens, pic related

>>25232979
Jizzed

>>25232949
Looking back at it now I realise I wasted an awesome chance to make it a great recon/spy game where the PCs were hired because of their "alien expertise" to track down mind controlled human infiltrators.

fuck me

XCOM always reminded me of Gantz

>>25232979
bonus points if the players don't know its a X-Com or X-Files style game

>>25233021
I can just imagine pulling that off on /tg/ OP name starts out as FBI quest or CIA quest or something....for the rest of the quest it would forever be SUPRISE IT'S X-COM! QUEST

>people thinking "Stuka" is the russian word for bitch
It's "Suka", without the t.

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I always liked the idea of taking the good parts of the original XCOM (time units etc) and slapping it together with the good parts of Enemy Unknown (elevation, aliens not shooting you from fog etc) and making it into a system

>>25233045
those eyes....ruin what could have been purrrrrrfectly good furr

>>25233045
I think that's been done

>>25232978
They didnt ;_;

But to be fair, it was quite a few years back

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>>25233066
Well not properly then because I haven't seen it. I'd look into it, but I have no attention span whatsoever

>>25233068
they didn't.....are you telling me there is more to that pic than just art,,,,I swear to god if that is from a hentai comic or animation and you do not sauce right the fuck now

>>25233066
It has but the attempts have been completely unplayable garbage. I´ve been working on such a game but with all the shit players need to have for a boardgame, it is very implausible to have it work properly - at least if you want suspension and fun rather than 3 hours of triplechecking spread sheets.

I finally gave up on it and made it into a 50´s military/50´s bad sci-fi movie pulp and its turning out great.

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>>25233086
>>25233078

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>>25229530
>Just remember, we're only authorized to use violence when protecting the planet.
>And the moon.
>Yeah, and the moon.

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>>25233164
IN THE NAME OF THE MOON, I will punish you!
-Ichigo Kurosaki

>>25232655
I would play the FUCK out of that.

>>25233045
>time units
>good
Really now?

>>25233121
nah I quite like the new xcom game. Its unfortunate that it became a bunch of heroes out to save the World rather than a handful of rookies getting shot to bits and it lacks the tense atmosphere but all in all its a great game getting bogged Down by its name. If it was called anything else, it would be considered much better I think which is a shame

>>25233268
I like them much more than the actions in EU. They're fun, although it'd be a hassle for players to manage

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If you speak German, take a look at this - it's basically XCOM the RPG.

Otherwise, rip off Stargate.

>>25233268
>Insulting countless of unmatched classics like Jagged Alliance, Incubation, Fallout or Silent Storm.

Nigga why?

>>25233317
Might want to remove the pseudo-drow mary sues though. Actually the whole fluff needs a lot of work.

>>25232928
I still kept the non PSI squaddies and used them even late game. I did that in TFTD too which I played exponentially more than UFO Defense and found it much more suspenseful because of the underwater setting.

>>25233328
Are they actually mary sues, or do you just not like them?

>>25233328
Yeah I'm not exactly enthusiastic about it, but it has ist strong suits, like base building rules and an acceptable chapter on not doing the /k/ommando style all the time.

>>25233319
So you think that pointing out that a mechanic is bad (and that doesn't mean the game as a whole isn't good, as nobody's perfect) is an insult?

>>25233288
TUs are way too fiddly. It's complication mostly for the sake of complication, and you're correct in that they're a hassle to properly manage, which makes them bad, because hassle is not a thing that should ever be a part of a well-designed game. At least not by modern standards.

>>25233268
For a PC game, yes. Mostly because you can play on much higher difficulties and be forced to make your troops bound alternatively while covering each other, so you get more realistic movement but maintain the difficulty. It also forces you to decide how many time units you want to devote to reflex fire. In the new "move then shoot" system, unless I am already in the midst of exchanging fire, I just move everyone their max distance to cover and then set them on reflex fire at the end of the turn.

I do really like the cover system of the new one and think that is a great improvement.

>>25233377
That said, why the fuck does shooting or reloading take twice the time before I walk? What kind of space time anomaly does your feet have to create to force this retarded shit on the player?

Its just annoying and used as an artificial way ot making the heavys double shot have an effect instead of finding something else for the heavy to have.

>>25233377
>TUs to fiddly.
Yes, for a tabletop game. For a PC game in which everything is calculated and recorded by the computer, it isn't even an issue.

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>>25233443
The cover system would be good if it fucking worked. Enemies can shoot directly through full cover at times, and crit at that, it's a load of bullshit. It's just not fun that the best strategy is to wait for the enemy to move out, why would they even do that when they can just stand their ground?
>>25233454
Well I'm actually under education to become a programmer, so I might be able to toss up a system for time units

>>25233454
You still have to take them into account and count them when you want to move and still shoot.

>>25233448
What?

Do you mean to say that Shooting or Reloading take twice as much time to do than an individual step of movement?

>>25233475
Er, what I meant to say, you're still performing way too many ariphmetical operations than a turn justifies. Some of those are taken care of by the computer, but it can't plan for you.

>>25233482
If you reload/shoot in the beginning of your turn, it costs 2 actions. If you do it in the end of your turn (after walking), it only costs 1 action. And despite the fact that both only costs 1 action apparantly, you cant both reload and shoot in the same turn.

Thats just fucking demented

>>25233463
It adds a "defense bonus" of lowering the chance to hit of incoming fire, but I agree that certain types of cover should obstruct all incoming fire that isn't powerful enough to destroy the cover itself.

>>25233499
That's the downside to a "Move and Shoot" style of turn. With time units you have more freedom to decide how your troops shoot and move.

>>25227267
Let the people make multiple characters for the campaign, for example 1 investigative agent, 1 operative, 1 command/research/intelligence guy.

On every level of play, a different player has the authority.

>>25227267
Well I've run a post-XCOM setting campaign but almost nobody wanted to play. The off-duty time was in between missions. Squad mates have interacted with themselves in that time, and the commander which were the players could do almost anything he wanted including going into illegal bars with his male cooperatives.

>>25233523
you really want more of us tripfags running about?

...wait, did you mean character and not player? I get confused easily.

>>25233377
>So you think that pointing out that a mechanic is bad (and that doesn't mean the game as a whole isn't good, as nobody's perfect) is an insult?

I'm just using exaggerated 4chan speak. I also don't think you're a nigga, in case you absolutely have to talk semantics.
Anyways, feel free to keep your opinions of course. There are plenty of uhhh "streamlined" games for uhhhh impatient people like you.

>>25233541
Yeeep, characters. I mean, what worked for Ars Magica and Darkstrider can't be half bad.

>>25233377
>complication mostly for the sake of complication
So you mean to say there is another system that lets you configure your units´ actions as varied as this, yet is stripped of all the, in your opinion unneccessary, complexity of time units/action points.
Let´s hear it then.

>>25233491
>you're still performing way too many ariphmetical operations than a turn justifies
aside from the fact that "ariphmetical" isn´t a word, having to think/plan ahead how to spend your resources is a major portion of a good tactics game, not some tedious chore.
>Some of those are taken care of by the computer, but it can't plan for you.
So you are saying that the computer doesn´t play the game for you, and that´s a bad thing.

>>25233752
>So you mean to say there is another system that lets you configure your units´ actions as varied as this, yet is stripped of all the, in your opinion unneccessary, complexity of time units/action points.

No, I do not. It doesn't allow as much variety, but variety can (and in this case is) be unneeded or unjustified by the costs.

>>25233786
Apologies for the "ariphmetical" mistake, english isn't my first language so I make those from time to time. And I'm not saying that planning is a bad thing, it's great, but, again, it can be too overburdened for a single soldier per turn's worth.

Anyway, I'd continue to butt whatever it is people butt with eachother (metaphorical horns, I guess?) with you, but I must leave. If you want, consider the argument won by you.

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Something that always annoyed me about EU - so you've got a hypersonic VTOL craft, but it doesn't even have rocket pods or a crew bay gun for a little air-to-ground fire support? And they let their no-doubt expensive VTOL sit on the ground in enemy territory instead of dusting off?

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>>25232951
it shouldn't, because 'Asuka' isn't pronounced 'Uh-Soo-Kuh."

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>>25228502
That sounds awesome! I'm actually preparing to run a similar game using NEMESIS (though modified to suit my needs) but set in the present. I'd love to hear more about what you did with it.

>>25235959
You could handwave it a few ways:
1) They're trying to keep panic down, a big ol' VTOL dropping ordnance on a civilian area will definitely attract more notice than a small squad shutting down aliens on the ground
2)If the VTOL should get shot down, then the squad is stranded out in the sticks with a bunch of hostiles. I don't know standard military doctrine, but from what I gather, VTOL assets or things like choppers are there primarily for infil or exfil, and are usually not on station for close fire support.

>>25235996
Yes, but when you see the written word it looks very similar.

>>25236423
The much less believable thing is that the employ a bunch of unequipped rookies who miss at point blank instead of professionally operating operators.

>>25236630
In theory they're supposed to be the 'best of the best.'

>>25230753
>>25231041
>>25231246

This alone makes me want to do an X-COM campaign to see how my players would do in these situations.
>>25231038

If I remember correctly they really only found bases if you screwed up a few battles; so you can save SOME "favour" with the funding nations.

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>>25232485
>how much dick do you think boeing would suck to see even a glimpse of what makes the UFO's do what they do

That would be such an amusing scene. Making negotiations with the Boeing CEO, lead shareholders, and board of directors. Tell them all that you will offer it for a small sum of money... and a blowjob to completion from half of them. Which half? They have to vote on it.

>>25232915
The build should be slower. Start with hints throughout the first story arc. The scene you describe should be the climax to the first arc, maybe 4 or 5 sessions in.

Also a good question is who exiled Ethereals in the first place? Because humans probably will have to fight them on their own.

>>25227473
damn, i was too late.

>>25235996

I would play the shit out of x com style mech game, in which you would have to manage your base, outfit your mechs, and train your pilots, before sending them fight off otherworldly horrors trying to invade earth.

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>>25237554
Something like Front Mission 3.
It could be made in Unity "pretty easily" for all platforms these days.

>>25232273

Hey, I'm the anon who did the stats for weapons in DH/OW. Should I continue?

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>>25236801
>pic very much related

>>25227267
I always find budgetary issues to be absolutely gripping.

>>25233317
anyone translate this?

>>25233525
I'd be interested if it started like X-Files

Actually everybody would be interested, you just have to viral your game

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>>25236801

Well look at it this way. These guys get recruited from some of the best military groups in the world--straight up Tier 1 operator type organizations. Delta Force, SAS, JTF2, Navy Seals, GIGN, BOPE, GSG9, Spetsnaz--you name it, they're in X-COM. Now these hardened soldiers who have no doubt seen combat against pirates and bandits and all manner of human targets get tossed in to situations where they're fighting an enemy they know next to nothing about, use weaponry that renders their body armor and any cover they use completely moot, and look like the mad realizations of old 1950's B-movies.

I don't care how operator the rookies may claim to be, or what country they're from, or what organization they used to be part of--when a Grey shoots a hole in your teammate's chest through what is most likely some of the most advanced armor developed like it was just wet tissue paper, it's hard to fucking line up your shots correctly.

>>25239913
Fighting spooky aliens is surely intimidating even for experienced people, true, but i don't think seeing your teammate get killed be plasma is so much worse then see him blown up by an RPG and operators would still have their resolve. Unless there is some psi powers at work, but that is a whole different story.

>>25237818

So, that's a no?

>>25239913
Yes it's a bit silly that they miss that often, but rpgs have never really been good in a modern setting. They just don't work well with guns.

>>25236630
I actually really liked that about X-Com because what
>>25236801
>>25239913
says is the back story the game gives, but you run into an enemy no one has ever faced before that has abilities or capabilities and TTPs that no one has ever seen.

Operators operating operationally can and do still die, sometimes at the hands of a malnourished guerrilla. Now you place them up against an unprecedented threat and you expect them to clean up?

>>25231618

I'd look at X-Com Apocalypse as a starting point for factions - that game had a number of interesting ideas like faction interplay - for example, the manufacturing weapons companies, the government, alien cultists, etc.

>>25241027

The issue here is you are interpreting what is happening on the screen literally, rather than in the abstract. In combat people don't wait their turn and sit perfectly still, they'll hit the deck, duck for cover, etc. Firefights are often as much about suppression as careful marksmanship.

OP here, great to see that this thread lasted the night.

>>25240989
If you're still around, I'm perfectly fine with you doing my work for me.

>>25241744
>I'd look at X-Com Apocalypse as a starting point for factions - that game had a number of interesting ideas like faction interplay - for example, the manufacturing weapons companies, the government, alien cultists, etc.

i'd second this, actually. Apocalypse was my first x-com, and in some ways it surpasses the original

>>25242458

Heh, I just read this as I was getting ready to go to the store. I'll continue after I get back.

>>25242890
I bought it on Steam a long time ago, and I tried it on the Real Time setting, holy shit it was retarded.

>>25241027
>sectopod in the open no cover anywhere
>everyone misses it

Its the size of a fucking house how do they miss?

>>25242970

Okay, back. I'll continue from the Heavy Laser.

>>25244598

It's actually really cheesy if you use Real Time and do Stun Raids.

>>25244598
Sectopods have higher defence than almost anything else in the game.

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The aliens have a hold on one of your superiors. You don't know which.

>>25244690

X-COM Heavy Laser
>Class: Las, Heavy
>RoF: S/3/-
>Damage: 2d10 E
>Penetration: 5
>Clip: -
>Reload: -
>Special: Reliable, Tearing
>Weight: 6.0 kg
>Cost: $10000

>>25245263

Alien Plasma Pistol
>Class: Plasma, Pistol
>RoF: S/4/7
>Damage: 1d10+9 E
>Penetration: 6
>Clip: 26
>Reload: Full
>Special: Tearing
>Weight: 1.5 kg (loaded), 1.0 kg (empty)
>Cost: $12000

Now, should I make a seperate set for X-COM's plasma weaponry, just as an alternate "What if we could improve upon alien tech?" idea?

>>25243534
>Real Time setting

There's your problem.

When you peel it back, there's a lot of depth to it.

On-demand raids of alien infiltrated organizations, how the market works to make things cheaper over time - and how you can manipulate it to get money.
The inevitable ascent to a self-contained military-industrial R&D complex to MAKE enough shit to sell to afford to win against the aliens..... Using engineers to come out ahead of the profit margin is perhaps one of the most challenging and useful things to do in that game

>>25245370
>What if we could improve upon alien tech?" idea?

You have to ask?

Though, x-com usually DOES improve on it, eventually.
More often, though, alien research inspires other areas of research - to use apocalypse as an example, Disruptor Armor

>>25245370
The way I understand it x-com's "improvements" to weapons are things like adding ergonomic features that human soldiers are used to having. Like a trigger instead of whatever the fuck the aliens push hit or squeeze to make it go pop pop.

>>25245885

Alrighty then. I'll just continue with saying Alien weaponry is the same as X-COM weaponry.

Alien Plasma Rifle
>Class: Plasma, Rifle
>Range: 115m
>RoF: S/5/9
>Damage: 2d10+3 E
>Penetration: 7
>Clip: 28
>Reload: Full
>Special: Accurate, Tearing
>Weight: 2.5 kg (loaded), 2.0 kg (empty)
>Cost: $18000

Range of the Heavy Laser: 110m
Range of the Plasma Pistol: 45m

>>25245370
>>25246129
>2d10+3
>Average roll 14
>1d10+9
>Average roll 14.5
Miiiiight want to redo the math on the plasma pistol and the plasma rifle.

I mean sure you'll get more righteous fury with the rifle but that's still a bit too close damage wise.

>>25246129

Alien Heavy Plasma
>Class: Plasma, Heavy
>Range: 130m
>RoF: S/7/10
>Damage: 3d10+1 E
>Penetration: 8
>Clip: 35
>Reload: 2 Full Rounds
>Special: Tearing
>Weight: 4.5 kg (loaded), 4.0 kg (empty)
>Cost: $32000

Thinking about it,t he Plasma Rifle is too low on damage. I think 2d10+7 E is better for it's destructive power.

>>25246258

Beat me to it.

>>25246345
To check your math on these things, go to anydice.com and enter in output [explode xdy+n] Where x is number of dice, y is number of sides, and n is flat modifiers, then click summary and look at your mean. It'll help you get a feel for balancing numbers.

Don't worry you're already doing a better job than WotC

>>25246491

Ah, thanks. Maybe I'll go through the whole list of stats I wrote up and balance things a bit.

>>25246534

Actually, thing seem to have worked out. Now, the Blaster Bomb...

>>25246882

Blaster Bomb
>Class: Launcher, Heavy
>Range: 300m
>RoF: S/-/-
>Damage: 4d10+12 X
>Penetration: 10
>Clip: 1
>Reload: 2 Full Rounds
>Special: Blast(10), Unstable
>Weight: 6.0 kg (loaded), 5.0 kg (empty)
>Cost: $70000

I added Unstable to allow the MASSIVE damage that BBombs can do, while also allowing the rare surviving shot (like, 0.001 chance, or 1 in 1000 rolls).

>>25247062

Alien Grenade
>Class: Thrown
>Range: Str Bonus * 3
>RoF: S/-/-
>Damage: 2d10+8 X
>Penetration: 7
>Clip: -
>Reload: -
>Special: Blast(6)
>Weght: 0.5 kg
>Cost: $2000

>>25247097

Stun Launcher
>Class: Launcher, Hevay
>Range: 60m
>Damage: 2d10+2 E
>Penetration: 0
>Clip: 1
>Reload: Full Round
>Special: Blast(5), Stun, Deals no damage
>Weight: 4.0 kg (loaded), 3.5 kg (empty)
>Cost: $10000

>>25247134

And that's all for now. I might continue later tonight.

>>25247148
How would you handle the assignment of gear?

Would you just let the PCs pick gear, and say that's what they were assigned?

Would it be a good idea to start off all characters with a few standard traits that would be expected on all X-COM solders, like BASIC WEAPON TRAINING?

Here are some I came up with for my SCP style game.

-City hydro investigating unusually high power useage at the base. Police may get involved under belief of a grow op.
-City inspectors need to make sure permits are properly filled.
-A store moves into one of the neighbouring commercial spaces. If ignored, it eventually becomes semi-successful.
-Due to the recession, the neighborhood where the base is located has closed up shops; homeless and squatters have moved in and you must deal with them before they become a problem.
-Endangered bird found to be nesting in area; EPA about to become involved.
-Highway bypass is planned to be built over the base; demolition is scheduled to start in 3 months (if you didn't want it torn down, you should have filed an injunction at City Hall 6 months ago).
-There was a shooting outside the storefront so for the next little while police will be crawling all over the area.
-A water main has burst nearby and water is leaking/flooding into sensitive areas or the basement.
-The mob tries to shakedown the storefront for protection money.
-Jehovah's Witness
-Bad termite infestation? Exterminator's might need to come in and fumigate. Dunno how much they'd find.
-Someone tries to rob them
-Media attention from some blunder of the party
-Something they collect attracts some specific animal type. Not mundane, but, magical in a mundane issue of sorts.
-Air conditioning/heat go out?
-Drug dealers start peddling in the neighborhood
-Depending on how much they cover what they are, the local official/police force could take increasing measures to figure out what they're up to.
-Reporter poses as seductive NPC to get close to a PC and figure out what the scoop is
-Rats in the building
-Neighbouring businesses start using up too much parking space.
-An NPC recruit decides they should be in charge.

>>25247148

I have no clue, I'm just righting stat blocks. I'd probably go with one of three options:

(1) No class/profession system, just grab traits/skills from starting experience.
(2) Everyone is the same class, gets less starter experience, but basic weapon/armor training and a few athletic/command based skills.
(3) Invent roles/classes and give them progression trees, then try to balance them out (ugh so much work), but reap the benefits of a diversified team.

As for equipment, I might say that due to X-COM being so poor, you have a monthly renting fee on your equipment, for ammo/cleaning/storage et cetera. You'd have a starting salary, then as your rank increased, you would have a larger salary.

Also, I'm back. Now HWP weapons.

>>25252833

Tank Cannon
>Class: SP, Heavy.
>Range: 85m
>RoF: S/3/5
>Damage: 1d10+6
>Penetration: 2
>Clip: 30
>Reload: -
>Special: Tearing
>Weight: -
>Cost: ???

Not sure what to put for cost, since it is included with the tank. Weight is also a non-issue, unless you measure your Skyranger's capacity by weight.

>>25252932

Tank Rocket
>Class: Launcher, Heavy
>Range: 140m
>RoF: S/-/-
>Damage: 2d10+5 X
>Penetration: 4
>Clip: 8
>Reload: -
>Special: Blast(5), Accurate
>Weight: -
>Cost: ???

>>25253050

Tank Laser
>Class: Las, Heavy
>Range: 90m
>Rof: S/3/-
>Damage: 2d10+3 E
>Penetration: 3
>Clip: -
>Reload: -
>Special: -
>Weight: -
>Cost: ???

>>25227267

>Favorite plot hook:

put PC's on guard duty. nothing happens. force them to interact with eachother.

Some people rise to the occasion, others don't. when it goes well it goes really well.

>>25253105

Hovertank Plasma
>Class: Plasma, Heavy
>Range: 120m
>RoF: S/3/-
>Damage: 2d10+3 E
>Penetration: 6
>Clip: -
>Reload: -
>Special: Accurate, Tearing
>Weight: -
>Cost: ???

Btw, I checked. The Tank Laser Cannon is the same strength as the Hovertank Plasma Cannon. I gave the Plasma a higher Penetration, though, to reflect the resistances in game to Plasma.

>>25253209

Hovertank Fusion Ball Launcher
>Class: Launcher, Heavy
>Range: Infinite
>RoF: S/-/-
>Damage: 3d10+7 X
>Penetration: 7
>Clip: 8
>Reload: -
>Special: Blast(7), Unstable
>Weight: -
>Cost: ???

The Fusion Ball Launcher is much, much weaker than the Blaster Launcher, I just discovered. I never used them anyways, so that's fun to know another reason to not use them.

>>25253293

Now, armor.

Coveralls
>Head: 0
>Body: 3 Flak
>Arms: 1 Flak
>Legs: 1 Flak
>Weight: 3.0 kg
>Cost: Free with each soldier

Personal Armor
>Head: 4
>Body: 7
>Arms: 6
>Legs: 6
>Weight: 3.0kg
>Cost: $6000
>Special: Immune to damage from mundane fire sources. All SP weapons count as primitive.

Power Suit
>Head: 9
>Body: 13
>Arms: 11
>Legs: 11
>Weight: 10.0 kg (does not count towards weight total of soldier)
>Cost: $40000
>Special: Immune to all damage from fire, built in rebreather and night vision. Str Bonus * 2. Increases Size Rating by 1. All SP weapons count as primitive. Add 3 armor against laser weapons.

(The huge list of specials is to make sure you want this stuff. It is meant to keep you alive through most attacks, barring Heavy plasma shots).