X-COM THINK TANK (Out of Character Discussion about X-COM and the Series)

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ZombieSplitter53

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
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Well, non-soldiers during the base defense just requires a bit of imagination. For example, for the scientist I plan to use, I have a log planned to include the fear and problems she experiences being surround by hostiles as the soldiers around her start dying and she has no combat experience. I also have a backup character in case I can't use my first, and she has a base defense log that is from the perspective of a mind-controlled character.

In terms of age, regardless of your perspective on my age question, I don't think everyone would have to be physically able or a military background. Bases have civilian quarters, and something tells me that a scientist, even one in the prime of they're life, would be useless in a fight considering one usually doesn't have the time to become an expert in chemistry and biology and CQC and gun-slinging. They aren't there to fight, they're there to think, plan, and build.

At any rate, the consensus seems to be "Maybe...but maybe not...But Maybe!....but maybe not...". I wish I could ask Odd directly, maybe plead my case, but I already tried that when I started a conversation with him to ask if there would be any problem reapplying with a character that wasn't excepted in a previous season if we rework them, but it's been over two months, and he hasn't answered me. I hope he's really busy, and not simply ignoring me.:(
 
Frostlich1228

Frostlich1228

Well-Known Member
ZombieSplitter53 said:
Well, non-soldiers during the base defense just requires a bit of imagination. For example, for the scientist I plan to use, I have a log planned to include the fear and problems she experiences being surround by hostiles as the soldiers around her start dying and she has no combat experience. I also have a backup character in case I can't use my first, and she has a base defense log that is from the perspective of a mind-controlled character.

In terms of age, regardless of your perspective on my age question, I don't think everyone would have to be physically able or a military background. Bases have civilian quarters, and something tells me that a scientist, even one in the prime of they're life, would be useless in a fight considering one usually doesn't have the time to become an expert in chemistry and biology and CQC and gun-slinging. They aren't there to fight, they're there to think, plan, and build.

At any rate, the consensus seems to be "Maybe...but maybe not...But Maybe!....but maybe not...". I wish I could ask Odd directly, maybe plead my case, but I already tried that when I started a conversation with him to ask if there would be any problem reapplying with a character that wasn't excepted in a previous season if we rework them, but it's been over two months, and he hasn't answered me. I hope he's really busy, and not simply ignoring me.:(
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I'm sure He just has a lot to do, Don't worry :)
 
MarineAvenger

MarineAvenger

Operator 21O
Staff member
ZombieSplitter53 said:
I can't remember, Odd had limit on character age, right? Do you think he would let that slide for non-combatants? I mean, if someone is hitting the field, they need to be in prime shape to fight, so no matter how skilled they are, a six year old boy or a ninety year old woman would be ridiculous, so I completely agree with the age limit.

But if you're in the labs, your mind is the most important thing, and if you're in engineering, as long as you can do basic work, or you contribute in ways that don't require physical strength (like designing and programing for satellites, S.H.I.V.s, and the Mechs), it doesn't matter if you're a fourteen year old prodigy or a sixty-five computer genius, right?

And I know there are plenty of you who are rolling your eyes at me, but here me out. Say I was to introduce a character based on a real person, like Stephen Hawking. who is 72 and paraplegic but is one of the leading minds on theoretical physicist and cosmologist, and the Director of Research at the Center for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge, or Gabriel See, who scored a 720 out of 800 on the SAT math test at age 8, performed T-cell receptor research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at age 10, and at age 11, he won a silver medal at the international Genetically Engineered Machine competition on synthetic biology for undergraduate college students at MIT. Do you think Odd would give them a chance?
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so basically he is charles xavier from xmem
 
MarineAvenger

MarineAvenger

Operator 21O
Staff member
Ok since I got a few people who wanted to see my character bio I will put up a little taste

Name: Ryland Ziegar {pronounced Z-Eye-Grr lolz}
Age:27
Race:Caucasian
Hometown:Caracas,Venezuela

Ryland grew up a street rat on the streets of Caracas. At the age of 15 he had a total of 13 arrests for over 43 known committed thefts and robberies. Ryland had a purpose though, to see his life long best friend Valentina and her brother Pablo have a nice life. At age 17, to pay for food, clothes, and housing Ryland joined the Venezuelan drug cartel. He was ordered to to jobs like smuggling, car jacking, and even full blown hit jobs. But he never exposed his friends to his life. When Valentina would ask he would just say it was another days pay. Soon though the law caught up with him. The warehouse he was working in got raided by another cartel and the survivors were left to the police. Ryland was sentenced 25 years to life in a Venezuelan jail. That wouldn't hold him long 5 weeks into his sentence Ryland escaped and has evaded the police for around 9 years while taking whatever job he could to provide for his amigos. Then Pablo came down with a life threatening illness and the medical bills were adding up. Soon one of Ryland's shadiest deals yet may earn him the money he needs to pay for the bills, but threatens his life by being his most toughest challenge yet, an unknown organization and extraterrestrial beings.

How was that for a story, it will be a challenge for me cause I have never written from a latino view and was even thinking writing entire passages of him speaking in espanol, with translations of course. I want to here your views post a reply or shoot me a pm with any help or questions for me.

After thought statement... if your gonna ask no he is not going to be a stereotypical spanish drug cartel bad ass. He will be a very loyal comrade and kind, and his main driving factor is to pay for his friends. I am very hopeful for additional advice.
 
Gahlo

Gahlo

Active Member
That annoyance when: You quote a post and the forum saves a draft, but you decide to not make the post. Then of course it puts the mountain of text back in the post box, so you have to make a post like this to make it go away.
 
Suryce

Suryce

Game Master
Have you tried the "delete draft" option of the floppy disk button? (Saving a blank post would probably work too)
 
ZombieSplitter53

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
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ZombieSplitter53

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
Here's a topic of discussion; panic. I get that when a soldier panics he might do something stupid, like shot at an enemy that is too hard to hit, or run into not-so-smart cover. It's realistic. I wouldn't mind it if there was a chance they'd use a sub-weapon, wasting a grenade on an enemy I wanted to capture, or tossing a smoke or ghost grenade on themself. It would be annoying, but still realistic.

What I don't understand is the friendly fire. Why, when seeing someone killed, does a soldier freak out, turn to an ally who is in plain sight, and blow his head off. Even if that ally is technically flanked, and thus has nothing blocking the panicking soldier from seeing they're human,they still shoot at them. If someone here has military training, please tell me if this is a real threat, even with rookies. Is it realistic for a paniced rookie to fire at an ally, especially when there is such a big difference in appearence between them and the enemy?
 
PrismaCube

PrismaCube

Well-Known Member
Well, I once saw a film where there were some soldiers in a small town somewhere in Iraq or whatever, at night they were attacked and the main character paniced because it was all a sudden rush. While hiding in a crater from a bomb or something he could only see lights flashing (muzzels) from the shooting and he saw a ton of people running around, cititzen, enemies and friendlies. His heart was racing and he was afraid and paniced he did not know what to do, who to shoot. He looks over and sees some people but doesnt regonize them. As he is about to shoot those shadowy figures running about, one of this comrads that i think he was befriended with, walked into the crater where he was. Out of panic of thinking it was an enemy the main character turned around and shot, to late he realised what has really just happend and who he shot.

However I get what you mean, it does make little sence. That is why the Long War mod reduced that chance of that happening but a ton.
 
Suryce

Suryce

Game Master
In my head, I always explained it as the panicking soldier pulling the trigger by accident and unluckily hitting a comrade.
 
ZombieSplitter53

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
Suryce said:
In my head, I always explained it as the panicking soldier pulling the trigger by accident and unluckily hitting a comrade.
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Hmm, maybe, but that just sounds like rationalizing bad programming. I really think friendly fire is too high, especially considering how distinct the enemy is. If long war really lowered it, I think it was a wise choice.
 
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