Let's Play X-Com : Enemy Within!! (Always Recruiting!)

[CroverusRaven]

Forward

► Show Spoiler

vidius inspired me to actually go get the game from steam, and I noticed it had DLC so I downloaded the Enemy Within expansion as well as some downloadable content which adds some new missions and more choices for character customization! I'll try and keep the quality up to the standards vidius has set for this game, and hope they do not mind if I borrow their format for organizing everything. Let's get things started!

Recruits

► Show Spoiler

Nerre
Alaen
Donnigan
madmartin26
Nolandking
GathersIngredients
vidius

X-Com First Strike soldiers

AFGNCAAP-1

► Show Spoiler

AFGNCAAP-2

► Show Spoiler

AFGNCAAP-3

► Show Spoiler

AFGNCAAP-4

► Show Spoiler

AFGNCAAP-5

► Show Spoiler

AFGNCAAP-6

► Show Spoiler

AFGNCAAP-7

► Show Spoiler

AFGNCAAP-8

► Show Spoiler

AFGNCAAP-9

► Show Spoiler

AFGNCAAP-10

► Show Spoiler

AFGNCAAP-11

► Show Spoiler

AFGNCAAP-12

► Show Spoiler

Current objectives
-Pick a base
-Vote on additional rules
-Complete First Mission
-Pick soldiers
-Start first Research

Mission List
Operation Broken Savior

Armory
Primary weapons

► Show Spoiler

images of unlocked main weapons go here

Secondary Weapons

► Show Spoiler

images of unlocked sidearms go here

Equipment

► Show Spoiler

images of unlocked equipment goes here

Body Armor

► Show Spoiler

images of unlocked armor go here

Completed Research

► Show Spoiler

This space for Rent

X-Rays

► Show Spoiler

No infomration about aliens has been unlocked

X-com HQ

► Show Spoiler

The Globe

► Show Spoiler

North America (0/3 Satellites)
1 satellite bonus:- +1 scientist + 1 engineer / months
2 satellite bonus:- + 2 scientists + 2 engineers / month
3 satellite bonus:- +4 scientists + 4 engineers / month
Regions
United States: + $180/month
Canada: + $100/month
Mexico: + $50/month

South America (0/2 Satellites)
1 satellite bonus:- + 1 scientist / month
2 satellite bonus:- + 2 scientists + 2 engineers / month
Regions
Argentina: + $70/month
Brazil: + $80/month

Africa(0/3 Satellites)
1 satellite bonus:- + 1 Engineer / month
2 satellite bonus:- + 1 scientist + 2 engineer / month
3 satellite bonus:- + 2 scientists + 3 engineer / month
Regions
Egypt: + $70/month
South Africa: +$80/month
Nigeria: - covered +$100/month

Europe(0/4 Satellites)
1 satellite bonus:- + 2 scientists / month
2 satellite bonus:- + 3 scientists / month
3 satellite bonus:- + 6 scientists / month
4 satellite bonus:- + 8 scientists / month
Regions
United Kingdom: + $100/month
Russia: + $150/month
France: + $80/month
Germany: + $100/month

Asia(0/4 Satellites)
1 satellite bonus:- + 2 engineer / month
2 satellite bonus:- + 3 engineer / month
3 satellite bonus:- + 6 engineer / month
4 satellite bonus:- + 8 engineer / month
Regions
China: + $100/month
Japan: + $100/month
India: + $60/month
Australia: + $60/month

In Memoriam

► Show Spoiler

No one has died yet yay!

[CroverusRaven]

The two advanced options that can be added are Operation Progeny and Operation Slingshot. I am turning off both tutorials, not gonna do Ironman, and I'll keep the Beginner Voice overs on.

Operation Progeny description: "In the course of defending Earth against the alien invasion, undertake a campaign to rescue an alien abductee who is more than she seems."

Operation Slingshot description: "During the campaign, make contact with a mysterious Triad operative and gain access to a device that could yield a decisive advantage against the invaders."

The following Second wave options are up for consideration

Damage Roulette: Weapons have a much wider range of damage.
New Economy: The funding offered by individual council members is randomized.
Not Created Equally: Rookies will have random starting stats.
Hidden Potential: As a soldier is promoted, their stats will increase randomly.
Aiming Angles: Units receive an aim bonus the closer they are to flanking an enemy.
Mind Hates Matter: Genetically modified soldiers cannot undergo psi testing; gifted soldiers can never receive genetic modification.

[Nerre]

-Damage Roulette: Weapons have a much wider range of damage.
+New Economy: The funding offered by individual council members is randomized.
+Not Created Equally: Rookies will have random starting stats.
+Hidden Potential: As a soldier is promoted, their stats will increase randomly.
+Aiming Angles: Units receive an aim bonus the closer they are to flanking an enemy.
+Mind Hates Matter: Genetically modified soldiers cannot undergo psi testing; gifted soldiers can never receive genetic modification.

I would play like this. Green = yes, red = no.

The two operations sound like mayor changes, but I cannot decide from their description if they are good or not, if they make the game harder or easier. Slingshot sounds like a boost, but I am unsure about Progeny.

[Alaen]

I'm in too.
No second wave, but both Progeny and Slingshot
I vote for the base to be in Asia.

The two operations sound like mayor changes, but I cannot decide from their description if they are good or not, if they make the game harder or easier. Slingshot sounds like a boost, but I am unsure about Progeny.

They don't change anything. They just give some stuff as reward that is normally not that easy to get. Slingshot gives a unique veteran Heavy in the first mission and you get a fusion core that you normally can only get from shooting a battleship down in the third. However the missions are more difficult and you can't really do anything with the fusion core for a while. Progeny gives a unique recruit that starts with a random class and is guaranteed to be psychic with decent Will, but her other stats tend to be subpar. A later mission gives another three units that are also psychic.

[CroverusRaven]

Please you colors other than red and green. I am colorblind

[Donnigan]

Yes to Both Operations!

The following Second wave options are up for consideration

Damage Roulette: Weapons have a much wider range of damage. Yes! Minimum Damage goes down, but also Max Damage goes up I think.
New Economy: The funding offered by individual council members is randomized. Yes! This can be simultaneously good or bad.
Not Created Equally: Rookies will have random starting stats. Yes! This is fun, but some Soldiers you pretty much have to write off right off the bat.
Hidden Potential: As a soldier is promoted, their stats will increase randomly. Yes! This can make some Soldiers Gods and crappy soldiers pretty good. Or a Good Starting Soldier pretty Meh.
Aiming Angles: Units receive an aim bonus the closer they are to flanking an enemy. Yes! Always Fun!
Mind Hates Matter: Genetically modified soldiers cannot undergo psi testing; gifted soldiers can never receive genetic modification. NO! Having Super Soldiers is Super!

[madmartin26]

two extra missions: yes
Yes to all extra rules except Damage roulette and mind hates matter

Start in africa.

Can we choose difficulty, or are we just doing classic no matter what?

[CroverusRaven]

I'm fine with any Difficulty.

[Nerre]

Please you colors other than red and green. I am colorblind

Edited it, + = green = ok, - = red = no.

[Nolandking]

I like the mind or matter since it make it so that if you want to be a gen mod soldier you can be a psi soldier and visa versa.

[GathersIngredients]

Yes to Progeny and Slingshot! (I don't know them and I would like to see them.)

Damage Roulette: Weapons have a much wider range of damage. No opinion on this
New Economy: The funding offered by individual council members is randomized. NO!
Not Created Equally: Rookies will have random starting stats. Yes!
Hidden Potential: As a soldier is promoted, their stats will increase randomly. Yes!
Aiming Angles: Units receive an aim bonus the closer they are to flanking an enemy. Yes!
Mind Hates Matter: Genetically modified soldiers cannot undergo psi testing; gifted soldiers can never receive genetic modification. NO!

I would like to vote for a low difficulty setting, so we actually get to see the end of the game some day in the far off future?

[vidius]

I am so in on this!

Damage Roulette: Weapons have a much wider range of damage. YES! This makes the game so much more interesting, but be warned, this makes the early missions HEAPS harder.
New Economy: The funding offered by individual council members is randomized. YES! This makes the game more diverse, and removes cookie cutter strategies.
Not Created Equally: Rookies will have random starting stats. YES! a necessity in my books.
Hidden Potential: As a soldier is promoted, their stats will increase randomly. YES! again a necessity.
Aiming Angles: Units receive an aim bonus the closer they are to flanking an enemy. YES! this rewards tactical play, and makes troops like assaults and heavies way more versatile.
Mind Hates Matter: Genetically modified soldiers cannot undergo psi testing; gifted soldiers can never receive genetic modification.[/quote] NO! who doesn't want to be a living god among men?

Starting continent:- South America

[CroverusRaven]

I think the purpose of the Mind Hates Matter rule is as follows:

MEC troops cannot gain psi power or gene mods. Since MECs and Gene mods both use MELD, it is usually useful to focus on one or the other. Off, this rule means your team will be a couple of MECs, and the psionic units with gene mods, and a handful of people who had a low Will when they were tested, so they're just Genemodded.

With it on, you will want to wait on gene mods until AFTER unlocking the opportunity to gain psionics, and only apply gene mods to the people that do not unlock psionic potential, so you'll save up on MELD early on and focus it on MECs

[Alaen]

In my experience -which admittedly isn't much- gene mods are not that good compared to MECs in pretty much any phase of the game except very late. MECs are IMO borderline OP with very strong abilities, while gene mods are just nice to have and can mostly be replicated/replaced by perks or gear.

[vidius]

In my experience -which admittedly isn't much- gene mods are not that good compared to MECs in pretty much any phase of the game except very late. MECs are IMO borderline OP with very strong abilities, while gene mods are just nice to have and can mostly be replicated/replaced by perks or gear.

I'm gonna disagree with you on that. I love MECS, but I prefer the tactical flexibility gene mods provide you with. Also, you can make yourself pretty immune to MC.

[CroverusRaven]

The combination of Gene Mods, a specific armor, and a piece of equipment would allow me to get my my strongest soldiers to have a Will breaking 125.

[CroverusRaven]

We have 7 right now I believe, I'll keep voting open until Monday and then we play with who ever we got. I've learned how to take screen shots, and that I can even create cropped shots to save on space for item descriptions and such.

[CroverusRaven]

We have just 1 vote for Asia and 1 for Africa. Right now We will not have Damage Roulette or Mind Hates MAtter, but all other rules are ok.

Gonna probably go with Classical Difficulty unless you guys prefer Normal.

[Donnigan]

I see a vote for Africa, Asia, and South America...But I'll add mine to Asia for cheap troop upgrades.

[CroverusRaven]

Gonna give it 12 more hours for sign up, then we do a quick vote for starting location, then I'm gonna start the game and take screen shots to fill out everything.

[CroverusRaven]

Ok, so it is now Wednesday. No one has joined or voted on the starting location beyond what has already been shown. So! I will go ahead and get started, Asia is going to be the starting location. We will be playing on Normal cause that's how I normally do a LP, both Operations are activated, while New Economy, Not Created Equally, Hidden Potential, and Aiming Angles are all going to be turned on. I'll post images of the start of the first mission soon. Put everyone that ha signed up in the Recruits section.

[CroverusRaven]

Operation Broken Savior

Mission Briefing

► Show Spoiler

Turn 0

► Show Spoiler

The Team is dropped off in a parking lot. They have 2 Meld Canisters to find, Locations unknown

Turn 1

► Show Spoiler

The teams move into position, revealing nothing, though Elena seems to invoke the action cam by simply dashing!

The turn ends with no activity from the xenos, but Elena hears a strange sound. Not a xeno, but something else.

The soldiers can now continue moving.

Turn 1.5

► Show Spoiler

Rk. Ngele moves up and takes up overwatch. Elena dashes towards the sound she heard, ducking behind cover as she reveals a pair of Xenos!

They scatter to cover.

Erin and Nikolai can still go put they probably cannot get off a shot this turn.

[Donnigan]

Rk. Ngele moves up to the cover behind the far drop pod, over watching when she gets there. She will move in that General direction until she spots a Meld canister or some Echo Tangos, getting the best cover she can reach and continuing to overwatch.

[Alaen]

(Broken Saviour.. well thats not foreboding at all... )

Rk. Murphy will take cover behind the left drop pod and enter overwatch. He will continue in this direction until either aliens or meld are spotted.

[Nerre]

I will take Nikolai. Advancing to yellow car to the left and overwatching.