By Joseph Walter
Here at XCOM, we have a collection of the world's best operatives, trained in xeno-combat and given access to the deadliest weapons and most protective armor ever made by mankind.
Meet your team.
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By Joseph WalterWith the alien invasion slowly-but-surely starting to take its toll on the collective psyche of the world, XCOM will need to take the fight to these dangerous creatures and eliminate the threat. Here at XCOM, we have a collection of the world's best operatives, trained in xeno-combat and given access to the deadliest weapons and most protective armor ever made by mankind. Meet your team. JORGE HOWARD, RookieThe world has not been kind to Mr. Howard. As a youth, he braved the dangerous Trump Wall and escaped the treacherous Mexican wastes to make a new life in America. After joining the American military in a coup to overthrow the dangerous despot, Trump, the aliens invaded and Jorge was selected to become part of the XCOM Project. DArren Wilson, RookieA successful, but reclusive, author living out his days traveling, Darren was one of the first to experience the alien invasion first hand. In a botched abduction attempt, Darren's campsite was sieged by two creatures, at which point he purportedly proclaimed "welcome to the slaughterhouse, bitch" and proceeded to pummel the two xenos to death. Shortly after joining the XCOM project, he was sent on its inaugural mission. Although he achieved no kills during that sortie, he's confident that record will change. STefan Delgado, Squaddie (2 kills)After Trump declared himself "Eternal Dictator" and led a rabid coup against the former American government, Stefan was one of the first to reject the new order. Using a love for comic book heroes, his approach involved vigilante strikes against Trump's most trusted Grand Moffs. In the years following the overthrow of the "Eternal Dictator," Stefan's combat skill caused him to be a shoe-in for the XCOM Project. Michael Romei, RookieA former film composer, the recent "abduction mania" began to cause a paranoia that he could not shake. Along with his arsenal of guitars and keyboards, he slowly built one of firearms. After the first abduction was clearly caught crystal-clear on camera, he joined a local, anti-xeno militia. Before long, his skill (and musical repertoire) caught the eyes and ears of the XCOM Project. STEVE GRODZKI, SQuaddie (1 Kill)Squaddie Grodzki was one of the first members of the XCOM team. Years before the abduction epidemic, Steve's research and insight into the xeno-threat was unparalleled. Due to his wide range of combat and survival skills, he helped create the anti-xeno combat maneuvers that each member of XCOM is trained in to this day. When the XCOM Project was officially activated due to the abduction epidemic, Steve was on the very first combat mission, where he achieved a solitary kill. The first of many, without a doubt. Rachel Callender, RookieWhile pursuing further education, Rachel was visiting her ancestral castle in Scotland when the first tangible alien abduction cause came to light in North America. Only days later did Scotland face its extraterrestrial fears with their own case of an attempted, dreaded abduction. Rachel, along with locals, entered Castle Callander, barricaded it, and fought off the encroaching beings until they fled. Her quick-thinking, fearlessness and leadership ability earned her a welcome spot in XCOM's barracks. Joseph Prescott, RookieNot unlike Mr. Wilson, Joseph Prescott earned his living through the art of the written word. In an ironic twist of fate, whilst completing the final installment of a sci-fi series in which a detective in a colonized solar system discovered an impending extra-galactic threat, Mr. Prescott bore witness to an alien scurrying through the streets of Philadelphia, directly out his window. His police report was disregarded as "preposterous," but as more reports began to flood in, he was vindicated. He soon chose to put down the pen and ink and pick up an assault rifle with high-caliber magazines with XCOM. Joseph McCauley, RookieA gold-medal Olympic wrestler, Joseph McCauley was increasingly disturbed by reports of suspicious beings in his neighborhood. While training for the upcoming games, the unthinkable happened: Every person in his development, including his wife and children, disappeared without a trace. Swearing revenge, he signed up for the military. Before he could sent to boot camp, he was stopped by an XCOM agent and inducted into the secretive Project. Full-Nelsons have taken a backseat to frag grenades and rifles, but McCauley is still a force to be reckoned with. Joseph Walter, Squaddie (3 Kills)Actor-turned-activist, Joseph Walter had been paranoid about the extraterrestrial threat for years. Constantly bemoaning the world governments for not "doing enough" to put planetary defenses in place while instead squabbling over pointless terrestrial disputes, Mr. Walter caught the eye of the XCOM Project, who hurriedly inducted him. Deployed on the inaugural combat mission, Joseph Walter achieved three kills, but suffered battle-wounds in the process, sending him to the hospital for 6 days.
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By Joseph WalterDear Commanders, I know it's been some time, but all preparations are nearly in place to get our coordinated defense of Earth started! I had asked the interested parties where our XCOM Base should be located, but thought it would be best to ask again with a legitimate poll, which you'll find below. Our options are... 1) North America: All aircraft and aircraft weapons cost 50% less to purchase, build and maintain. 2) Europe: Laboratories and Workshops cost about 50% less to build and maintain. 3) Asia: All projects in the Foundry and the Officer Training School cost 50% less. 4)South America: Autopsies and interrogations are completed instantly. 5) Africa: Monthly XCOM funding increased by 30% As I previously mentioned, I typically go for North America, as the lowered cost of interceptors and satellites can go along way to curbing panic and striking first against the malevolent invaders. But the choice is not mine. It's ours. And now, a more pressing matter: The day of the week that works best for the majority of us. Yes, time will be an issue, but we'll tackle that when the... time... comes. I'm aiming for maybe one or two hour-long sessions a week, but we'll see adapt to the needs of the Council (you guys!) Lastly, if you know anyone else who might be interested in joining in on this destined romp, feel free to let them know about it! By Joseph WalterHello, Commanders!
Quite a few of you have expressed interest in the proposed XCOM Project, which is fantastic to hear! I look forward to making every bone-crunching, alien-killing, world-ending decision with each and every one of you in either the most impressive team ever assembled, or most dysfunctional (my bet is on the former) The plans so far are that I'll be streaming through Twitch's website. This can also be viewed through the Twitch app on your phone. Now, as for the date and time: My current schedule has allotted me three free days, being Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. My goal is to stream an hour of XCOM (or an entire mission) once a week. Yes, it's a slow pace, and it can be increased as we see fit, but I don't want to take up too much of anyone's time. I feel as though the drama can only increase the more it's prolonged, but we'll put it to the test. Now, you have two objectives, Commanders: 1) What day and time works best for you all? 2) Where should the XCOM base be set up? There are 5 options, each with their own bonuses. The choices are as follows: 1) North America: All aircraft and aircraft weapons cost 50% less to purchase, build and maintain. 2) Europe: Laboratories and Workshops cost about 50% less to build and maintain. 3) Asia: All projects in the Foundry and the Officer Training School cost 50% less. 4)South America: Autopsies and interrogations are completed instantly. 5) Africa: Monthly XCOM funding increased by 30% Personally, I typically go for North America, as the lowered cost of interceptors and satellites can go along way to curbing panic and striking first against the malevolent invaders. But the choice is not mind. It's ours. Let me know the day, time and preferred XCOM Base location below! Good Luck, Commanders. By Joseph Walter"XCOM: Enemy Unknown" is a brilliant strategy/tactical game. Set in the near future, a hostile alien invasion begins causing mass panic. In order to control this threat, a secret organization, XCOM (EXtraterrestrial COMbat Unit) is tasked with clandestine operations and maintaining tight control of the panic levels across the globe while expanding their base, doing the necessary research to quell the invasion, and eventually eliminate the threat entirely. It's a game of high-stakes and hard choices, where no decision is ever absolutely right. For example, London is reporting abductions and are offering scientists to help you complete your newest batch of fighters, but Germany is under a full-assault and, should you fail to help them, they'll pull out of the XCOM project, halting their contribution to your income. Unfortunately, should London's threat not be dealt with, there is a chance that they, too, will pull out, leaving you with two decimated countries and far less means of successfully completing your goals. These tough decisions aren't just native to the overall strategy layer, but also the tactical one as well: In XCOM's combat scenarios, you send a small team of operatives to exterminate the alien warriors, capture important technology or rescue citizens. The worrisome element is that when a soldier is killed, they're gone for good. If you rely too much on one extremely skilled soldier, only for them to be killed in the line of duty, you may be left with a squad of rookies who are too under-developed to stand up to the ever-increasing threat levels of the xeno-menace. What makes it even worse is that they can be customized to bear the name and looks of people you know, causing an unexpected connection with them. XCOM is one of my favorite games of 2012, and now that I have the ability to stream, I couldn't think of a better choice than this to be the inaugural adventure. But what of the promised "interactivity," you say? That's the fun part: How would you like to be one of the elite soldiers in our communal XCOM project? How would you like to have a part in the grueling decision making process, both strategic and tactical? That's my goal for this test run. I'd like to have the community involved in all decision making processes. We'd be the Council, making the hard decisions together. Naturally (and with your permission) we'd create avatars of ourselves for the soldiers in our combat unit, down to the closest likeness possible, and they'll even bear your names (first name, last initial, if you're worried about privacy.) Together, we can celebrate victories such as shooting down our first UFO, or cheering as that one soldier with a 10% chance to hit an enemy actually succeeds, saving our entire team. We can also weep uncontrollably as we're torn to shreds by Cyberdisks and Sectopods. The best part is that XCOM is so cripplingly difficult that I can't even promise that we'll win. Yes, it's possible to face absolute defeat in this game. But if that's our fate, we'll face it together and take the blame for the outcome as one. I'm unsure of a schedule just yet, with an upcoming vacation on its way, but I'll be aiming for something like 1 hour a night, once or twice a week. It'll be a long process, but that makes it fun. If you're interested in being part of this, sound off in the comments. Vigilo Confido, Commander. |
The MASTER OF THE CASTLEJoseph Walter is a 2013 graduate of Drexel University, with a degree in Film & Video and a minor in Film Studies. Archives
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