It started with a story idea (fanfic disease *cough cough) of a scenario where aliens come back and ends up occupying most of Earth and humanity faces possible subjugation, if not extermination. There was this "Hearts of Iron III" (a VERY complex WWII simulation game) video I watched long time ago where a guy was asking the question of what if at the start of the war, Japan occupied Hawaii instead of just bombing it, and it lead to a situation where US was forced to helplessly try to take Hawaii where Japan dumped all their naval forces(eventually the guy nuked NYC and D.C. just for the irony).
Instead of pulling out a story quote which was what I did before in another forum, let me give you an outline.
*After end of the game:world
-The technologies stolen from the aliens integrated into society, leading to leaps in progress in science, manufacture, and infrastructure. Blah blah blah better stuff (needs more elaboration on "better stuff". Request suggestions)
-Space Travel Program revolutionize to the point that the alien ships lead to colonization in the moon. Mars Terraform project also starts.
-Better unified international efforts lead to extermination of most (minor) terrorist organizations.
-However, political, ethical, and border problems are still headaches. (I'm somewhat concerned of my minor knowledge of world disputes so I'm staying off this so people can tell me about it)
*XCOM project dissolves
-Locks up all equipments, and prepared emergency mass production system
-However, problems arise as what to do with the elite soldiers, half of them psionics, now that the alien threat is over. Two problems arises of having psionics, who are literally biologically superior humans. One, having them in one country and not the other. Two, having Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disordered psionics returned to their public life. Human rights issues climatically becomes politically unstable for them.
-Possibility of either lock up or 24/7 surveillance, or both depending on their power.
-Out of desperation and a sense of betrayal, half the most powerful psionics defect and becomes rogue. With the help of ex-Triad Zhang (Slingshot Dlc), they become lost by the government.
-What happens to the remaining elite forces remains unrevealed until the alien invasion.
*Aliens invasion (30~40 years after endgame)
-Fleets arrive at once. Humanity was semi-prepared, but was overwhelmed in all-out battles that ensued.
-Pretty much takes away control of "most" of Asia (except Japan, Australia, Israel+Palestine), northern chunk of N America, all of S America, and "most" of Europe (except Switzerland and Scandinavian countries). However, they have only specifically taken direct control over industrial and populous regions.
-Since Africa remained largely untouched, most of the world government and remaining populace evacuated there. Of course, the cramping and quick-fixed infrastructure doesn't contribute the general populace well being.
-The Main Alien Base is stationed in the Amazon, making it unthinkable to nuke them within the planet's source of oxygen.
-Lunar colony abandoned. However strangely, the colony was not targeted.
-Satellites are slowly being blown up one by one.
[Pretty much looks bleak for the human race]
*Humanity's stance
-As emergency protocol, mercenaries were accepted on the price of serving the purpose of preventing extinction.
-The XCOM project restarts partially only for the purpose of hunting down UFOs. The elite soldiers, now old, serves as senior commanders over the military forces. However, some of the elite psionics developed willed immortality over their physical body, making them the ultimate soldiers.
-In replacement of the XCOM project, the governments in Africa pooled forces. The remaining non-African human governments fends desperately for themselves and as a place of potential strategic importance.
-Serious rebellion groups still holds place in China (Triads, because I think it's interesting), Indochina, Russia, and India. Minor ones do exist most everywhere.
So that's basically the setting for the game. As for the core mechanics of the rule, I decided to take and dumb down Dark Heresy, a d100(!) RP system where you try to roll below your stats in order to get success. This is how much I thought of as an attempt to translate game mechanics.
-All stats except Fellowship. That leaves: Weapon Skill(melee, as last resort), Ballistic Skill (gun skill pretty much,and grenades), Strength, Toughness, Agility, Intelligence (this however is only going to have much relevance when playing as non-combatant), Perception, and Willpower.
-Chance to hit (i researched a little how XCOM aim chance works) is Ballistic Skills + weapon quality (10~40, based on quality) + modifiers.
-Chance to Crit is 10xdegree of success (how many 10s you got below requisite) + weapon + modifiers. Successful Crit adds bonus damage of whichever is higher: degree of success or weapon base
-Damage is weapon base + degree of success - enemy armor.
-Additional possible actions: Go Prone (instant +10 defense against same elevation), Sneak(Perception vs Agility, if success, flanked), Melee(!), Set Traps, Scavenge. This is trying to allow extensive strategy and flexibility for things not only for combat, but also for survival.
-Moving from Prone takes an immediate action, limiting it to Dashing.
-Health (or I guess it's Wounds in Dark Heresy) = 5 + Toughness Level (+possible level bonus) + shield(some armor will have, unhealable)
-Panic does either of these things: Hunker Down and becomes immobile, Dash blindly away from firing enemies, or Overwatch on anything that comes in their direction from uncover side, including teammates. Their Visibility becomes limited by their own. Willpower is rolled to see if allies' death (-20 each), intense fire (varies), or extreme injury(hmm) induce Panic. Willpower is rolled again each turn after that to get out of Panic. Not under fire (+30), and allies that are near (+10 each)
-You can try to roll for Dodge when they hit you as a reaction (unless prone). Agility + cover - 30
-Poison inflicts automatically (unless breathing masks!). You roll Toughness roll to see if you take damage from poison every turn.
-Grenades or explosions might cause knock back.
-don't know how I would treat range. Kind of looking into World of Darkness(Suggestions!)
Pistol example: base damage(1) + aim bonus(20)
This is just an additional (optional) stuff I came up because I could (for story purposes):
-Psionics can easily detect each other, though they can suppress their powers to try to hide.
-Air Strikes are available(ahhahahahah .. sometimes)
-Aliens are capable of silencing human communication, possibly put squad apart.
-Med kits provide only temporary health for usually 48 hours, tolerance 36 hours. Effect deterioration can possibly kill unwary people who took too much damage. Proper medical attention after combat is recommended, if not required, procedure. Addiction and abuse of substance is possible.
-Ammo is limited (AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
-You can play as a mercenary, which might have different rules from a regular soldier (not that I know anything about real military)
-You can play as non-combatant if you want. It's just that then somebody has to actually think of a proper setting infrastructure. Otherwise in my mind it would go like this: You know life sucks cause aliens and stupid living conditions cause of aliens, and that if you ever kill an alien, it would be because you were just dumb lucky. The only importance you'll ever have is to provide support and exposition to the guys actually fighting, just like a souless, lifeless NPC.
kind of WIP
Suggestion, Comments, and Questions are mandatory.
