Fenn Vs. Terror From the Deep

[RefSteel]

Dear Diary,

We are definitely not working for a clandestine undersea alien organization in their fight against other undersea aliens. We are definitely all human, all the way up the command chain! You can tell because the horrible underwater alien menaces all have weapons that work equally well on land or sea, whereas we humans only know how to use harpoon launchers and like that, even when we have to fight in the open air, where our best equipment doesn't even work! This makes all kinds of logical sense, so don't worry.

Today, our definitely-human overlords sent us after an Aquatoid crash site, and it was grisly! My fellow shapesh... my ... um, my fellow humans who are all in great shape because of working out so much, exactly like I was saying, were dropping left and right; it was terrible! On the plus side, I got to blow up an aquatoid in a burst of shockwave bubbles, and I did some helpful spotting for my squadmates, pinning down those aliens' exact locations ... errrr ... at least to within a couple of dozen meters. Command complained about the other guys' accuracy, but ... uh ... I ... may not have given the very best possible directions for where to throw those grenades and everything. But hey! I'm learning! I even got to shoot harpoons at something, although I admit that you couldn't have guessed what I was trying to shoot just from where my shots landed. Er. But we brought the sub back, and some Aquatoid corpses, so I think we're doing great!

Also the guys keep joking about me and something about my grenades? Something to do with it being "sunny" someplace? I don't know. At least my throws were better than my directions. Got that flare just right for El Grillo to bring us home. Good to know we've got people like that on the squad who can come through in the clutch!

Unlike, you know, me.

Yours while this meat-shape lasts, I mean body, I mean lifetime,

RefSteel, Able Seaman

[RifleAvenger]

I greatly enjoyed reading your previous adventure from the sidelines. If you have room, please add me to the meatgrinder.

The consecutive instant deaths on the two missions run thus far make me very excited to see where this playthrough goes. Hats off for going beyond hardest difficulty on a game you've never even beaten!

[Fenn]

Of course I get offed. At least I stunned a guy? I'm sure Ref will be happy that he gets to handle explosives. Here's hoping my next incarnation has decent stats... or bad stats? Will I live longer if I suck?

That's an interesting question. If an Aquanaut's stats are really bad I'd be tempted to use them either as a pack mule (if they have good Strength) or as bait (if they don't).

RifleAvenger, with 14-strong squads and...high personnel turnover, there's always room for one more. Welcome aboard.

[haphazard1]

Another mission, another insta-death when we open the Triton's doors. I am thinking that the designers of the old Skyranger did not include doors for a reason -- those things are just asking for trouble!

I got to throw some grenades! (Poorly.) And shoot an alien. (I even hit it!) And somehow I even survived. Probably just random luck. Also, I am thinking that the betting pools at HQ on who lives and who dies must be epic.

The financial situation is definitely tough. With minimal sales of captured alien weapons, corpses and sub components may be the main options for raising cash. They will bring only a fraction of what weapons would haul in, but at least it is some funding for XCOM.

It has been a while since I played TFTD, so I had forgotten just how pathetic the starting human weapons are. Ouch. That pistol equivalent dart gun is just sad. Even the jet harpoon is pretty weak against anything but an aquatoid. Gas cannons are a lot better, but the weight is a problem -- much more fatigure and stamina drain. But the weapons that do not work above water are an even bigger pain.

[Fenn]

Agent haphazard is doing quite well for himself, I'd say - he's up to seven kills over two missions now/

Part 3:

Having cleared out the second USO, there's a calm period where no alien subs are detected. The Alien Containment is built, and many of the supplies X-COM has ordered arrive, including:

The Coelacanth is the equivalent of the tanks from UFO Defence, and like them are much more well armored than our Aquanauts. This variety fires torpedoes and as such can only be used underwater, so I'll want to invest in a Gas Cannon Coelacanth at some point.

We also recruit some new and returning soldiers:

RifleAvenger's great firing accuracy and reactions are hampered by his poor stats otherwise. He'll appreciate the lighter Gauss weapons once they come online. Whosit II, well, he can throw grenades pretty decently. David Corperial's first of no doubt several reincarnations will make an excellent heavy weapons user.

A few more days pass, and research on the Gauss Pistol and its clips are ready:

The Gauss Pistol is a gigntic step up from the Dart Gun, with automatic fire and 45 base damage. X-COM's technicians get to work immediately manufacturing them and their ammunition. Now that we have a decent lightweight weapon, I take a detour to unlock Medikits and the Particle Disturbance Sensor; those utility items are always handy to have around.


Much later, a third sub shows up on the 22nd. This one is able to evade our Barracudas and touches down on the seafloor unharmed.


This time, we have a tank taking point. The Coealacanth pokes out and finds nothing going on to the north, so a few soldier follow it outside. Then:


David Corperial walks one step too far and dies on the first turn, again.


The Coelacanth misses with a snap torpedo shot, but sunrise's Jet Harpoon finds its mark. The usual flare and dye grenade shower follows.

Dp101 starts off turn 2 by peeking over the top of the Triton. There's the sub right there again, but nothing moving.


Wary of aliens lurking around, the rest of the squad only inches forward.

On the alien phase, many doors open, but nothing is seen.


Moving west reveals brings this wandering Aquatoid into view. RifleAvenger nails him with a Jet Harpoon, but it's not quite enough damage so RefSteel lobs a grenade over.


While the south team sweeps the outdoors, El Grillo is approaching the USO's entrance. He spots another Aquatoid, and this time RifleAvenger takes him out in a single shot.


Next turn, he opens the door to come face to face with a nasty. Luckily he's able to run away without being shot in the back, and haphazard introduces the alien to his exploding bullets.


With the USO door covered, the squad moves in a circle around to catch any Aquatoids left outside.


And it's a good thing the Coelacanth takes point, because a sonic blast flies out of the darkness and hits it head-on. After moving forward to spot the assailant, Dp101 sends a torpedo over.


More sweeping turns up nothing, so it's time to breach the USO. RefSteel and RifleAvenger have looked into the first couple of rooms and laid a proximity mine in the left-hand one already; over the next few turns they'll move counterclockwise through the ship.


...At least that's what I thought would happen, but there was an Aquatoid hiding in a dark pocket the Coelacanth hadn't yet checked. Fortunately he doesn't take any shots, and the tank blows it up easily with its torpedoes. Later, it finds a second straggler in a far corner, and gives him the torpedo treatment as well.


Back in the sub, we have an interesting problem - this Aquatoid can't be approached safely, and a single Tazer hit may not stun him.


The next turn, the Aquatoid disappears from view - probably sitting in one of those alcoves. At this point I get a really clever idea to hide our soldiers in this little closet which is closer, but no sooner do I do this than the Aquatoid barges in and kills REM.


This does at least leave him close enough to be stunned and captured by RefSteel - and now that we have Alien Containment we can take him back alive.


Apart from that reckless mistake leading to REM's demise, that went pretty well. Only one alien stunned for his gear, but selling corpses and some useless sub components does at least raise $260,000.

Not a day after the team arrives back in base, a disturbing report comes in:

But that will have to wait for another day.

[Dp101]

Can I see my soldier's stats? I'm curious as to how they are looking given how much they appear to have gone up from the mission aftermath screen thing. Seeing the streak of walking outside the sub causing death continue is amusing to me.

[haphazard1]

Another mission, and an alien is taken alive. Poor David Corperiel suffers the dreaded "shot by an alien no one knew was there" but it wasn't quite the standard "opened the door and died" result. Almost, but not quite. Maybe this is a sign things are improving? REM died in the extremely dangerous process of clearing the alien craft -- all those little corners and doors and pockets where an alien could be hiding, waiting to blast an XCOM operative.

It is good to see the gauss pistol research finishing. They will make a big difference. The corpses and loot recovered from this latest alien sub will help pay for some of these new weapons, which will start to even the odds a little bit on the battlefield.

And I got to shoot some more aliens! Got a little stronger and a tiny bit tougher, plus a bit better at throwing things. Good stuff.

[David Corperial]

Is this going to be a running gag for this series?

[shallow_thought]

Ooh, another chance to die nobly repeatedly for X-COM. Sign me up!

[RefSteel]

Dear Diary,

Found another of those alien submersible things. Didn't waste time shooting this time, since there weren't any barns to practice on - or at least not with their broad sides facing me. I was a little ashamed of having to lob a grenade to take out one of the aliens - would've been nice to get its corpse back for the brass so they could ... uh ... whatever it is they do to get resources out of those things. "Sell"? Is that what humans do with things they want to... I mean, we humans? I mean of course I know this haha! What a kidder I am!

Anyway, I kind of made up for it at least. I brought one back alive this time! Its terrifying weapon is probably worth more than half the squad put together, which is definitely a good thing since poor REM got blasted while we were trying to secure the guy "safely". Oh! Speaking of which! I was reading this really neat novel all about not panicking and outer space and aliens and that kind of thing! You know, to brush up on my knowledge of alien stuff which I totally would not otherwise have any way of knowing! And I found this line, which just seemed really apropos:

This is obviously some strange use of the word "safe" that I wasn't previously aware of.

Anyway, we're definitely safe now! And so are all the humans! The ... other humans! Who are human like us! We've done such a great job on these three alien craft that ... hey, hang on, the sirens are going - I'm supposed to report to the Triton again! I'm sure it's nothing though. Maybe a false alarm.

Back Real Soon,
RefSteel, Able Seaman