X-COM: War of the Chosen - the QT3 game!

The Game

Hi everyone!

A few times in the past, I’ve played a game of XCOM (the 1997 original) and given a narrative of the entire game using the namesakes of forum members.

If you’ve never played X-COM, it’s like playing “chess with GIJoes”, as my wife put it one time. You take a squad of soldiers out and fight aliens in turn based game using soldiers you can customize. The new games made by Blind Squirrel and Firaxis even let you choose nationality along with language, a specialization, hair, helmet, hats, scars, etc. The overall goal is to beat the alien threat and save earth by playing out a strategic game while going on many tactical missions where you resolve battle. A word of warning though. This game is hard. Punishing hard. Your soldiers typically don’t last long, especially at higher difficulties. I’m gonna need a HUGE list of people to serve the cause. Normally the game starts out very hard and gets a bit easier later because at the start you are using human guns and no armor and can be killed in one shot. As you go on and research alien weapons, armor, and your soldiers gain many, many fiddly upgrades and abilities, your squad becomes stronger and less “brittle”. In accordance, many Qt3ers will die on the battlefield in the early game. Let’s hope you make it to the end!

How to Participate

All I really need is a post saying you want to join X-COM. I’ll use your QT3 forum name as the name of your in game avatar. However, you can choose several customization options as well:

  1. Name
  2. Country of Origin
  3. Gender
  4. Uniform color
  5. Preferred Specialization (more on this below)

Specializations

If you survive a couple of firefights, you’ll probably get promoted from “Rookie” to “Squaddie”. Squaddies get a specialization chosen for them, but I can always fiddle with things if you last a bit longer. I’ll outline them below, though no promises you’ll last that long!

Ranger - This is your close support specialist. They have a sword and shotgun. They are also usually a bit more stealthy.

Sniper - Exactly as it sounds, but they also have some fun revolver abilities

Specialist - In my games, this is basically a medic. Can also hack and provide buffs and support.

Heavy - Carries a minigun and a grenade launcher. Big boom.

There are few more that you don’t get many of, so I can only have 1 or 2 each. Thus they are first come first serve for picks.

Psi Op - The ultimate trick of this class is Mind Control. Also has other tricks.

Skirmisher - Kind of a close in specialist but very mobile. Can get an electric whip at some point!

Reaper - A very stealthy sniper. This is will probably be our main scout.

Templar - A melee class with the ability to dodge well.


This game might take a while, like all summer. I’ll post after actions reports, narrative description of events, and screenshots of the action.

I would also love a volunteer to edit a top post in this thread to keep track of the list of names in order, including who alive and who is dead. If you’d like to volunteer for this simple edit your first post and keep track of a current roster. I’ll also post screenshots of the roster from the game occasionally.


So, who wants to kick some alien butt?

Our active duty roster:

Chappers - killed by a grenade
schurem - killed by Sectoid fire
sillhouette - killed by a Stunlancer
Jason_McMaster
ooomalley - Killed by Faceless
ineffablebob
CraigM - Killed by a tough zombie
Lantz
RichVR
lordkosc
Jack_Howitzer
Hotfreak
robc04
Benhur
Djscman
Schurem

Reserve list:
agapepilot
ddtibbs
orald
baren
Dan_Theman
JustinFletcher
Fifth_Fret
sillhouette

That’s our first 12, and replacements! This platoon should last us a few missions, at least. Good luck rooks! And welcome to the replacements!

OK this sounds fun. Please put me down:

Name - Alexandra “Chappers” Chappington
Country of Origin - England/U.K.
Gender - Female
Uniform color - Navy blue
Preferred Specialization (more on this below) - Reaper

Down with the alien scum!

Name : schurem
Nationality : Dutch
Gender : male
Uniform color : black trousers, red shirt, black cap.
spec : Heavy

fun idea! looking forward to it :D

I would like to report as a rookie, and see what I get

  • Name: Scott [RANDOMLASTNAME]
  • Country of Origin: [ANY]
  • Gender: Male (with goatee if available)
  • Uniform color: Dark Burgundy
  • Preferred Specialization: whatever I get as squaddie

Name: Jason “Alabama Thor” McMaster
Country: USA
Gender: MALE
Uniform Color: dark green
Spec: Heavy or Sniper

Not requesting nickname ‘Thor’? shameful

Awesome… Good luck!

Name: O’Malley
Country: 'Murica – edit: or UK/Ireland, if you want some variety
Gender: whatever
Color: green, why not
Spec: specialist

…please survive the first mission, please survive the first mission…

Fun stuff!

Name: Skip
Country: 'Murica
Gender: whatever
Color: Dark blue or purple
Spec: skirmisher if available, otherwise specialist

Name: Craig
Country: India (gotta have some variety here, so I volunteer to relocate)
Gender: male
Color: Blue and red. Go Cubs Go
Spec: specialist or skirmisher

Name - Lantz
Country of Origin - Egypt
Gender - whatever
Uniform color - Orange and more Orange
Preferred Specialization: Ranger

Rich “Discord” Romano
USA (or Italy for a change)
Male
Black (or an modern black/gray camo if you have that mod)
Sniper

And if you’re doing facial stuff:

Summary

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/files/2014/10/Frank-Zappa.jpg?w=980&q=75

  • LordKosc
  • USA or Ukraine (your preference)
  • Male
  • Teal
  • Templar or Ranger

My 90% chance to hit, will always miss.

Name: Jack “Howitzer” McWolfe
Country: Ireland
Gender: Male
Uniform Color: Green and White
Spec: Whatever the XCOM Gods choose to bestow (Dies as a lowly rookie…)

Corrected. What a terrible oversight

Name: Slobodan “Freakchaud” Zivojinevic
Country of Origin: Croatia (or somewhere in Africa)
Gender: Female for the first mission, then male
Uniform color: black
Preferred Specialization: Reaper (or Ranger, if Chappers gets Reaper first)
– edit: I’ll be whatever spec you need

The first mission (if you have the tutorial disabled, and this is my 3rd play through so that’s disabled) is kind of a scripted intro misson where you blow up a statue. Oddly enough, the first actual mission (when the tutorial is on) is where you existentially rescue yourself. How trippy is that for a first level? The in game cinematics are all from the viewpoint of a “Commander” first person view. I’m skipping forward to the petty vandalism mission. Take that giant alien force! You never have to blow up another statue in game again.

Anyway, there are 4 of you disposable highly trained statue blowing up solders this mission.

Report for duty!

Edit:. And everyone made it! Back to base!

Scott Garcia, from Mexico, was slightly injured when celebrating back at the bar after our first successful mission.
Did I mention there is a bar back at HQ in this game? He got a little tipsy and was trying on the captured Advent armor when he fell down a stairwell.

Senor Garcia, see you in a few days. Nice work everyone!

And down we go for our first real mission! Check out our first team. 3 Squaddies take Rookie O’Malley out for a spin on her first misson. We have intelligence that an Avent Field Commander is going to be in the sewers under Paris. We are deploying to intercept him before he gets away. With the engineer this rewards us, we can start improving our flying, massive HQ.

*** Name**: RobC
*** Country of Origin** USA (or you can use France since that is where i am for 6 more months)
*** Gender**: Male
*** Uniform color**: Purple
*** Preferred Specialization ** Sniper or Ranger (whatever you need the most)