X-Com: Terror Site Arena

[Pumpkinhead]

X-COM: Terror Site Arena

 

Foreword:

 

I came up with this idea back when Q3 Arena came out and haven't touched it since until today, so some of the ideas might seem a little odd or stupid now, but at the time I thought it was pretty cool

 

Anyways, here's my ideas:

 

Introduction:

 

Meeting at a battlenet-like server, players would first select teams, after the initiator has chosen a stage to play on. Two relatively even teams would be necessary to play. These teams can be the same or different race. Once in two teams of up to 10 players, they would then move to their race's next step. The Humans get to buy their weaponry (and Tanks if they have enough credits), and the Aliens just get to choose their pets. When all have finished up, they are transported to the stage: The Human's in an Avenger, and the Alien's teleported in at random locations. The battle then occurs. When a player is killed, a Human player respawns by parachuting in, and an Alien respawns by teleporting. The players keep their assigned weapons throughout the game until they die, at which time all are dropped. Because each race can only use their own weapons (unless researched), there will be a good chance that the respawed player can recover their dropped weapons. If not, objects can be transferred between players by throwing/placing, and then the other picking them up. Expendibles such as ammo and grenades are cargo-dropped, or teleported in at random times and locations.

 

Details:

• To have smoke and fire
  
• Fatal Wounds shown as segmented body in screen corner in which segments change colour when damaged
  
• Armour - Same system as Fatal Wounds
  
• Once weapons etc. are chosen at start, the player can cycle through them in-game.
  
• Flying Suits can only be used briefly as they overheat
  
• The longer an enemy is in target, the more accurate the shot (ie - locking on goes from snap to aimed in UFO)
  
• All 'Auto Shot' capable weapons become semi-automatics.
  
• Grenades are timed by holding down the button, making the timer increase. A tap will result in explosion on impact.
  
• Blaster Launchers are controlled from a missile-cam POV.
  
• Tanks are used as Wingmen like Alien's "Pets"
  
• When reloading a multi-ammo'd weapon, the player must choose by reloading
  
• Laser weapons can be held on, but heat up if so, and have to be cooled down.
  
• Heavy Laser has very short cool down time!
  
• Motion Scanners are left on if held.
  
• Unconscious agents lay on the ground with stars around their head, but can be hurt.
  
• Medi-kits work automatically when needed.
  
• Psi-Amps are only used for mind control, which then works on a timer and the player can only revert to their own view by pressing ESC.
  
• Mind probes display the target's HPs and body damage on the player's screen.
  
• Muton's have a choice of Celatid or Silacoid as pets
  
• Floaters and Ethereals CANNOT walk.
  
• Ethereal's and Muton's pets Sectopods and Silacoids respectively can't keep up with owners.
  
• Civilans run around paniking and/or hide.
  
• Chryssalids, Reapers, Silacoids & Zombies can't use weapons and can only hit physically.
  
• "Pets" can only use their default weaponry.
  
• Because the Humans have access to all weaponry, they must buy their weapons. The more experience they have, the more money they have. Psi-training and weapons research must also be bought. This will prevent rookies from using weaponry they can't handle. (Will require server-side database, and/or cookies)
  
• Zombies can't be controlled. Once a unit is zombified, it runs around the stage attacking any enemy unit it comes across until the new chryssalid bursts from it. The Snakeman owner of the original Chryssalid can then control any new ones as Wingmen.
  
• Snakemen and Silacoids are impervious to fire!
  
• Cyberdiscs can't be stunned!
  
• Only Ethereals and possibly Sectoids can communicate with each other, or to others.
  
• Some Alien senses may be different, eg. IR or thermal
  
• Muton's are impervious, to some extent, to AP ammo.
  
• Floaters wobble when floating.
  
• Celatids can see human brainwaves.
  
• Chryssalids are vulnerable to HE ammo
  
• Reapers are vulnerable to fire because of their fur
  
• Sectopods are impervious to plasma, but vulnerable to laser on their sensory equipment.
  
• Cyberdiscs are impervious to HE.
  
• Environment is destructable: Windows break, Lightpoles fall, Walls collapse, Fire hydrants blow, Fuel bowsers expode etc
  
• Weather properties: Lightning/thunder, rain, hail, snow, wind(?), clouds and possibly disasters like hurricanes and floods, all randomly generated upon starting a stage.
  
• Roughly $5000 per mission for Humans (with a limit of 1 countable mission per day), ie - $5000 for mission 1, and then $10000 for mission 2.
  
• Laser Weapons will leave lines on walls etc.
  
• AP ammo makes holes appear
  
• Incendiary creates temporary fires
  
• Plasma weapons leave burn marks
  
• Stun weapons make bright flash and noise (ie, a flash-bang)
  
• Smoke dissapates over time
  
• 2-handed weapons can only be held in 2 hands!
  
• Only explosives can knock down walls
  
• Armour hit depends on attack's angle of incidence
  
• Scientists and Engineers must be hired to research and manufacture
  

UFO -> Arena Conversions:

• TUs = Relative speed
  
• Health = HPs
  
• Psi Skill/Strength = Only players with skill can use Psi-Amps, and Psi Strengths provides some protection against psi-attacks.
  

"Pet"/Tank (Wingmen) Commands:

• Cover me
  
• Take evasive
  
• Ignore current target
  
• Stop and wait for further instructions
  
• Attack target
  

[The Veteran]

so where is it then?

[NKF]

I hate to nitpick, but chryssalids actually resist high explosive attacks. I learnt this the hard way. When I was being charged down by a chryssalid, I spent a load of HE shells on it and it just wouldn't stop coming until I switched to AP shells when it ended its turn only a few feet away. Later, using the AP shells on another chryssalid, it went down twice as fast. This is not a lesson you tend to forget very easily.

 

You may also want to look at the issue of zombies and incendiary weapons. They won't hatch if the killing blow is dealth with an incendiary round (I assume it blasts them into tiny bite sized flaming chunks ).

 

Mind you, it doesn't have to be that way. It's just how it is in the original.

 

- NKF

[Pumpkinhead]

I hate to nitpick, but chryssalids actually resist high explosive attacks.

Really? I was just going off what the UFOpedia said I haven't played UFO properly since it first came out... Subsequent times I have started it up (for old times' sake) my squad has been equipped with Blaster Launchers so Chryssalids don't hang around for long

Mind you, it doesn't have to be that way. It's just how it is in the original.

Well I based the whole idea on the original cuz it's really been the only one I've ever liked...

[Pumpkinhead]

so where is it then?

You'd have to get id and Atari to team up for that one... But oh what joy it would bring us fans :inlove: