Backup Monday Night Game Discussion Thread

[Jenniza]

ooc: Thanks, SA, that answered some of my questions.

So, I assume you have the Exotic/Expert Firearms Proficiency.

If we want to finish the Powered Armor this week, we should probably get an estimate on the number of Researchers needed to finish it this week or next week and decide.

IC

FROM: Jane Swift
TO: Dr. Kimberly Wagner, Chief Grace Thelon-Beluca
CC: ALPHA TEAM, Michael Garrett

May we get an estimate on the number of researchers needed to fnish the Powered Armor project this week and/or next week? Whichever is practical. I'm guessing 5-10 would likely finish it this week. Does that sound about right? Also, would it be fair to say that the alien weapons would need about 15-20 researchers each to reliably finish them in a week? Or how would you rank them?

Thank you.

ooc: I'm quessing 5-10 for this week.

Similarly, I'm thinking we should get estimates on the medical projects too.

IC

FROM: Jane Swift
TO: Dr. Kimberly Wagner, Dr. Stanley White
CC: ALPHA TEAM, Michael Garrett

May we get estimates on your latest proposals for Research Projects, please? You proposed three exciting projects that we'd like to consider; but, we need to consider how many researchers they'd entail. How many researchers & weeks do you estimate would be involved with Alien Medikit 2; the Advanced Surgical Kit; and the Elerium-powered Biogenesis Unit. I'm assuming some of these are quite involved. Also, any sort of estimates, or rough rankings of which prisoners would take longer to interview then the others. We'd like to help you clear out the alien containment alien soon. Thank you.

[Vanya Mia]

No one saw it done, and it would be impossible to pin down exactly who was responsible, but some unspecified alcohol seemed to find its way into everyone's drinks as the party wore on. Party hat arranged at a particularly fetching angle on her own head, Catalina then spent time arranging one on Doc Allen's head, toying with his ponytail a little more than the process probably required. She nodded at Vasily's suggestion.

"The interrogations should be moved on quickly, they've been waiting too long. We might get information out of the engineers to speed up production of or improve equipment, those navigators should be able to tell us the location of the homeworld, and who knows what the leader can be made to reveal?" Catalina looked as thoughtful as a slightly tipsy person possibly could. "I'm not sure we shouldn't put more into it than that and get it done, but those medikit options look good." She gave James a playful pat on the cheek. "Should make sure Doc here gets everything he needs to keep us on our feet, we don't seem to be getting over the need for it. I say we finish off the new armour using as many as are needed to do it, throw 10 of our boys into sorting out the Advanced Surgical Kit, and the rest into chatting to that snakeman navigator."

"Course we need to decide what to make now the reactor is," Catalina gave a rueful grin, "finished. We've all got armour, so I'm thinking weapons, sorting the HWP, and maybe a few extra medikits. We give Doc S the folk he needs for the repairs. I fancy one of the VDU targetted pistols, like Doc Y was supplied with, and I'm betting our saviour here," she nudged James, "would like one at least, as we're not likely to get enough practice with the big stuff, and Soheil doesn't have a laser at all does she? I know the plasma pistol is an option now, and I definately want to be carrying one next time we go out, but the laser might still work better on some. Can we get ours upgraded rather than new ones built, I wonder? If no one else has requests, and we don't want to build more HWPs for base defense, then I think we throw the rest into medikits."


((OOC - Read the manufacturing, if I've the numbers correct, as 3 for the platform, 2 x 8 for two new pistols for those who will probably stick with small arms, leaving us 16 for some rifles, more pistols, or medikits. Unless we want to build more HWP for automated use around the base.))

[Lazybones]

I meant Exotic Firearms Proficiency for the Heavy Plasma.

Regarding your questions:

FROM: Dr. Kimberly Wagner
TO: ALPHA TEAM
CC: Michael Garret

It's hard to predict exactly how long it will take to complete each project, but I've asked the department heads to submit estimates.

All of the following is based on a full sciences team (10 researchers). Adjusting resources may alter projections.

Grace indicates that the Powered Armor is proving more complicated than expected. She asks that at least 8 researchers be maintained on the project, and would be even more comfortable with a full team of 10.

We're a bit farther along on the weapons, since we've had them in custody for some time (except for the new heavy plasma cannon). A full team should be able to complete work on the plasma rifle, stun launcher, vibroblade, or alien grenade in a week, with two weeks for the heavy plasma as an outside estimate.

We're looking at a good two weeks on the plasma cannon, as that's such a major project.

FROM: Dr. Stanley White
TO: ALPHA TEAM
CC: Dr. Kimberly Wagner, Michael Garret

Kim tells me that you guys want harder numbers on my research proposals. Keeping in mind that the actual projects may involve complications, here you go:

Alien Medikit 2: one week for the full biological sciences/medical team (ooc 10 researchers)
Advanced Surgical Kit: one week... maybe, if Dr. Allen can work another one of his miracles in the lab. We'd definitely have it done in two.
Elerium-powered Biogenesis Unit: yeah, this one is a bit complex. But Grace took the whole damned base for her reactor project. I'll say two weeks if we can get a full team of researchers and maybe half a team of engineers to help with building it.
And we're getting pretty good at the alien interrogations. We can handle one of those a week with half a team. The leader might be a bit tougher to crack, so you might want to put a full team on him.

Also, you can upgrade the existing pistols if you wish.

[Smart Alec]

The Russian nods, his face a picture of tipsy concentration as he moves his arms in some vague concession to dancing. After a few seconds, a few thoughts surface in his brain, and his does his best to voice them as his accent thickens.

"You dink dey manage... make robot tahnk protou... pratau... prototot... de firsd one, you dink dey put lasor on it? Wait, wait, hol'don, I... csheck."

He does his best to fire off an xmail, and gets pretty far before another thought occurs.

"Hai! Hai, Ameeri, where she go? Hai, Ameeri! You want a lasor pistol or a lasor rifle or what?"

FROM: V. KASPRJAK
TO: GRACE THELON BELUCA
RE: rocket tnak

hey grase, i ask abot th robot tank first one it be given lasor stead o fmissles?wOud ask dr sandascj but i do not kno his furst name.

thnak you youre great. pease

Vas.

[Smart Alec]

OOC: Also, confession time: Vas doesn't have Exotic Weapons Proficiency! I'm hoping to get it at level 9 - pretty much any class besides Soldier and Gunfighter is hard-pressed to get it any earlier. You might notice I tend to use autofire almost all the time with it, which makes it considerably easier to hit with (attack bonus +4 vs. AC 15 for the autofire, so he hits almost half the time - which isn't that bad) It does the occasional big wodge of damage, but burns through .50 cal ammo very quickly. I tend to use it against snakemen (you might have occasionally seen an Uninjured Snakeman suddenly drop to Badly Wounded - now, you know why), or as an opening weapon for long-range gunfights, as it outranges most things the Aliens have.

Vas doesn't have a spare minigun (too heavy!) but if anyone wants to use a massive thing like that, there's usually one in Musa's Heavy Weapons/Rifles box. If we have more than one in the group, though, ammo might become scarce for it, so I might have to go back to using a regular ol' rifle if someone else wants to use the minigun.

I'm fine with that, of course! It'd be just a bit... awwww. I'd miss it! Still, solid slow ol' Vas is approaching level 8, so in a few more weeks he'll hopefully have finally learned how to shoot straight with the thing.

[Jenniza]

ooc: current scorecard (rough estimates)

Research Priorities (24 points total)

Completed Research:

• Laser research completed: Laser Weapons, Laser Pistols, Laser Rifles
• Laser Cannons completed – All future interceptors will be equipped with this weapon.
• Lasers Defense completed (+100% Base Defense)
• Plasma Pistol – Alien weapon, we have several in storage (some for field agents, the remainder to be converted to consortium funds, re: the Americans’ 75% share of Firestorm costs)
• Motion Scanner: Research completed
• Heavy Weapon Platform: Research completed – Laser Tanks may be constructed.
• Alien Power Supply: Research completed (Anti-matter w/ Elerium-115)
• Alien Navigation: Research completed (plus alien power coupling device)
• Alien Alloys: Research completed; Personal Armor Available
• Elerium-115 Reactor (+20% Research, +20% Manufacturing, +50% Base Defense)
• Project FIRESTORM (Advanced new Interceptor) – Research completed
• Alien Medicine: Research completed; The new Medical Lab will produce eight medikits per week. Dr. White reports that when the lab is involved in research projects, such as alien autopsies, the rate of production will slow. Further upgrades may come from research into alien life forms.
• Prisoners researched: Sectoid, Sectoid Leader
• Autopsies completed: Sectoid, Snakeman, Floater

Current Projects:

• Powered Armor (8-10) – Elerium-115 powered armor (medium armor)
• (freebie) Project LIGHTNING (Advanced new Skyranger) is underway

Available Projects:

• Plasma Rifle (10) – More powerful Alien weapon (requires Exotic Firearms Proficiency)
• Heavy Plasma (20) – A massive Alien plasma weapon. (also requires Exotic Firearms Proficiency)
• Plasma Cannon (20) – prerequisite to ship-mounted plasma weapons, plasma tanks and plasma defense
• Small Launcher (Stunner) (10) – Alien stunner
• Vibroblade (10) – Alien melee weapon
• Alien BioGrenade (Elerium-115) (10) – alien biochemical grenade based on Electrum-115
• Alien Medicine (Level 2) (10) – advanced medikit
• Advanced Surgical Kit (10+) – Resuscitate downed patients (ooc: one-shot Raise Dead)
• Elerium-powered Biogenesis Unit – (increase medikit production by 50-75%, etc)

Prisoners held in Alien Containment:

• Sectoid Engineer (5)
• Snakemen Soldiers (5): Research, then transfer to a central holding facility off-site.
• Snakeman Engineer (5)
• Snakeman Navigator (5)
• Snakeman Leader (10)
• Floater Soldier (5)
• Floater Navigator (5): Alien intelligence

Manufacturing Priorities (35 points current – 1 injured)

• Note: Future base expansion will run into problems due to base size limitations.
• Elerium-115 Reactor (+20% Research, +20% Manufacturing, +50% Base Defense) (online)
• Manufacturing Labs: 3
• Research Labs: 2
• Medical Labs: 1; the Medical Lab is fully operational.
• Defense: Missiles & Lasers (Base Defense Rating = 40)
• Laser Pistols (5/8/3) :7, (Dr. Yeren’s pistol has the integrated VDU (+1 attack) that can also be made at +3 engineers per week)
• Laser Rifles (10) : 1
• Motion Scanners (10) : 2
• Heavy Weapons Platforms (10?) : Prototype (damaged); Laser Tanks: 1
• Personal Armor (10/14/4): 6; Helmets have been upgraded to resist mental attacks; (Catalina’s armor is treated to be a (+2) stealth suit that ca also be made at +4 engineers per week)
• Medikit (2) : Doctor White's medical lab can construct eight of these kits each week without compromising our manufacturing capacity. If you wish to dedicate additional resources to the project, the kits can be produced at a faster rate.

[Smart Alec]

OOC: Well, time's getting on so, how's this for a proposal:

RESEARCH

- 10 guys on the Powered Armour project.

- *9* guys on the Advanced Surgical Kit. Gambling here.

- 5 guys on interrogating the Snakemen Soldiers - got to get rid of those sometime.

We need a medical miracle, Chiz! A high Knowledge: Life Sciences or Treat Injury skill roll might get the advanced kit all done.

MANUFACTURING

See what you think of these priorities.

- Get Soheil and Jane laser pistols; they're useful, unlimited-ammo sidearms and there's probably a kind of 'upper limit' to how many rifle-sized weapons we can tote, so Jane's laser rifle might well be superceded at some point.

- Repair the damaged Laser HWP.

- Repair the damaged prototype HWP, and maybe refit it with a laser cannon?

- Spend the rest (if there is anything left) on medikits.

Good enough?

[Jenniza]

btw, how any of you picked up French +2 laser-sighted Spectres (SMG's) in France? they use 9mm rounds btw, i use that for my ballistics weapon. it's very nice. I was wondering if we could reproduce those somehow, through R&D? Didn't think of that earlier. I can show it to Grace and the others, if no one has them. I had thought some others were recovered; but, no mention of them has ever been mentioned.

[Smart Alec]

Vasily grabbed one. I originally wondered if I could remove the laser sight, but as I don't think I can, it's a decent backup weapon. Those 9mm bullets bit through the hides of a fair few Snakemen last mission.

[Lazybones]

OOC: Well, time's getting on so, how's this for a proposal:

RESEARCH

- 10 guys on the Powered Armour project.

- *9* guys on the Advanced Surgical Kit. Gambling here.

- 5 guys on interrogating the Snakemen Soldiers - got to get rid of those sometime.

We need a medical miracle, Chiz! A high Knowledge: Life Sciences or Treat Injury skill roll might get the advanced kit all done.

MANUFACTURING

See what you think of these priorities.

- Get Soheil and Jane laser pistols; they're useful, unlimited-ammo sidearms and there's probably a kind of 'upper limit' to how many rifle-sized weapons we can tote, so Jane's laser rifle might well be superceded at some point.

- Repair the damaged Laser HWP.

- Repair the damaged prototype HWP, and maybe refit it with a laser cannon?

- Spend the rest (if there is anything left) on medikits.

Good enough?

So making some assumptions on the manufacturing: you'd want two laser pistols with VDU-enhanced sights (16pts), repair the HWP (3 pts), repair (3) and upgrade (7) the damaged prototype, and the rest on medikits (6).

Also, note that Musa has laser and other sights that can be "purchased" and added to just about any non-handgun weapon (maybe not the minigun). Just buy and "use" on the weapon you wish to upgrade. Plus the laser sight VFX is pretty cool. The laser rifle already has the sight bonus built in, IIRC.