🚀 go-pugleaf

Simon, this is how the thread started, so I emailed Christopher Dudley, and
he assures me this is a genuine situation - that XCOM is going to be remade.
Whether anything will come of it is another matter, but it sure sparked my
interest!

The correspondence below gives some indication of what is happening.

Detonate

Yes, it's real.  I have sent Microprose a project proposal (On THEIR
request) covering the revisions and changes we are suggesting for
X-COM.  I can understand your concerns about our credentials, it is
true, we are a new software house.  But we are a group of highl
motivated individuals who have devoted our lives to one thing: Making
games of the highest possible quality.  You cannot find any reference to
us because we have yet to get a domain name, this unfortunate situation
is soon to be rectified.  It should be www.StarBLADE.com, or something
of the like.  I appreciate your query, it's nice to know people still
pay attention to the thing we call quality, and worry about the quality
in upcoming products.

Thanks for the email,
Christopher 'MaddCat' Dudley
StarBLADE Studios

Detonate wrote:

> I apologise for my query, but is this for real - a remake of XCOM?
>
> What credentials do you have, btw, as I cannot find any reference to
> starblade studios.
>
> No offense meant.
>
> Thanks
>
> Detonate

Rogue Trooper was the 2000AD character, btw.

Genetic enhancements from alien autopsies... I think we may be onto
something here!  Yeah, I quite like the idea, as with the possibility of
recruiting aliens, either through control or aliens which defect - could be
interesting.

I do not have any coding experience, otherwise I too would have tried to
develop something for XCOM long ago - I just have to dream along with the
majority until something comes along [sigh].  But then again, I could become
a consultant for the new game being made - my rates would be very reasonable
;-)

Detonate

Simon Trowman wrote:

> Firstly, I would like to ask, is this idea of a remake of X-COM in the
> process of being developed??  Well,  these ideas Detonate and Solice wrote
> are excellent, and if an X-COM remake didn`t come out, implementing these
> ideas, then they should really get in touch with their local games company
> and ask for a well-payed job!!!  Or even better they could get in touch
> with me and I could fix something up, (I have contacts!)  Or, even better
> still, if possible write their own!

Its mainly Detonate's ideas, I just suggested other options.  Blame him!
Hehehe.

>         As for the original X-COM ideas, some I`m not too sure about.  I
> mean Psionics for instance, an X-COM sans psionics is just not the same!
>         But, I have to agree with the point Detonate made about the new
> X-COM A aliens, they are completely laughable.  Spitters?  Ha!  Nothing
> more than cuddly little dolls!  (Private pun on Simon Trowman)  And as for
> them big Jelly Babies that psi you!  What the hell?

Those little scawiggy blobby alien thingees that crawl up then splode, piss me
off.I'll have those Flying Disks from the original, any day.  They just hover
and shoot at ya, you shoot back
and then splode goes most of the town. Hehehe.

>         I also like their ideas about the X-COM universe.  That would be
> something!  But, that idea about being the aliens.  You could go one better
> and have some aliens on your side, different from the ones you are
> fighting!!  Or, the ultimate, genetically altering existing aliens to suit
> your needs!  And as for the C+C-esque infobase terminal, I can see it now,
> push one button and another small screen swings out (ever seen the main
> menu on :Masters of Orion 2"?)

Nope on that Orion 2 thing, but the genetic engineering but would be a
interesting twist on things.Imagine, Up-grading your current troops with New
DNA sequences.
Making them more accurate, faster, etc..

(Ever heard of a Comic series within the 2001 A.D./ Judge Dread chronicles, of
genetically engineered
troops (who where blue by the way. Bit like the Muton Soldier.) Can't remember
the series name but it was about one
G.E.S. in particular, he AWOLs with some Hi-tech equipment. A rifle, helmet and
backpack. All the equipment have A.I.,
all have attitudes and each has special features.)

But anyway.......

>         Personally, I think they (MPS) should look to us for the answer!!!!
> Anyone got their address?  I`ll tell `em who can be their next developers
> group!!!!  US!!  Yeah, lets incite a revolt and, and, and bring a
> revolution about and .......mumble....... porcupines.....mumble......  no
> tweezers so they have to use their bare hands!!!
> Sorry about that, got a bit carried away.

LOL, what'll they do with the porcupine then?  A game of hackey, anyone?

Solice

>Imagine, Up-grading your current troops with New
>DNA sequences.
>Making them more accurate, faster, etc..


Hmmm...you do realize that once a person is fully grown, you would have to
change every single DNA strand somehow, in order to alter their DNA? This is
pretty unfeasible....especially given the number of cells in a fully grown
human. Also, there's the problem of a cancer developing from cells
inaccurately reprogrammed...
But anywayz. I always thought that you should be able to purchase cybernetic
enhancements for your soldiers, ala Syndicate. This would make for some
really interesting differences in the abilities of soldiers, especially if
there was no clear-cut progression in the order of parts purchase.
By this I mean the tendency of computer games to just have a weak-gun, good
gun, better-gun, best-gun progression. It would be far more fun to mix and
match parts with different vulnerabilities and strengths and powers than to
just research the next upgrade, buy it for all your guys, enjoy how they are
more powerful, then research the next upgrade.

Jakob

Jakob wrote:

> Hmmm...you do realize that once a person is fully grown, you would have to
> change every single DNA strand somehow, in order to alter their DNA? This is
> pretty unfeasible....especially given the number of cells in a fully grown
> human. Also, there's the problem of a cancer developing from cells
> inaccurately reprogrammed...

1) it was only a suggestion, Jakob.  2.) If we were to alter the captured or
turncoat Aliens to suit our needs, (not to sound cold hearted) who would care!
If it came down to us versus them, and they were our means of winning the
battle.  Do you think a government or even an Agency (if i could call it that)
like XCOM would worry about the after affects?

> But anywayz. I always thought that you should be able to purchase cybernetic
> enhancements for your soldiers, ala Syndicate. This would make for some
> really interesting differences in the abilities of soldiers, especially if
> there was no clear-cut progression in the order of parts purchase.

Maybe we could use a mixture of both Genetics and Cybernetics.  There are too
many games that already use Cybernetics as a basis of up-grading troops.

> By this I mean the tendency of computer games to just have a weak-gun, good
> gun, better-gun, best-gun progression. It would be far more fun to mix and
> match parts with different vulnerabilities and strengths and powers than to
> just research the next upgrade, buy it for all your guys, enjoy how they are
> more powerful, then research the next upgrade.

But with playing XCOM you find that not one weapon has an effect on all the
creatures.  E.g. Laser rifles where good used on Grays, but Laser used on the
Mutons were a waste of time, and usually troops.  And where Plasma rifles were
good on Mutons, (sometimes) they weren't all that great on another creatures.
You get my drift.  This doesn't necessarily mean "gun progression" or "research
& up-grade" methods are viable.  Also personal preference comes in to your
choices of enhancements for the game.  My troops always carried one laser pistol
and one heavy plasma rifle, with an incendiary grenade.  This took care of most
of the possible situations that arose during a battle.

Solice

Not to stretch the limits of plausibility beyond it's current tolerances,
bear in mind TFTD was set in 2040.  Imagine how people who were born in 1900
must have though, when the atomic bomb made that pretty cloud during the
closing years of WWII?

    It's just that anything may happen between now and tomorrow, and when it
comes to artistic license, well, their are no boundaries.

    I'm sure something will come along and change our minds... and our
genes... and our.... :-)

Detonate

Jakob wrote
Hmmm...you do realize that once a person is fully grown, you would have to
change every single DNA strand somehow, in order to alter their DNA?

>Not to stretch the limits of plausibility beyond it's current tolerances,
>bear in mind TFTD was set in 2040.  Imagine how people who were born in
1900
>must have though, when the atomic bomb made that pretty cloud during the
>closing years of WWII?

I can't imagine anyone with half a brain in the 1940s looking at an idea for
a Nuclear bomb and saying it couldn't exist, since it wasn't exactly high
technology.. But then again, these aren't the same questions. Nuclear
technology is something that developed extremely quickly, mostly out of
theoretical science.
Human DNA mutation and cloning is something that has been explored for
decades, and millions of earth's greatest minds have examined the problem,
which lies in the fact that in order to change an entire human, all of his
cells must be patterned from the same DNA. This problem manifests itself in
a variety of ways, not the least of which being the immune system attacking
organ transplants because of differences.
Now, I would appreciate it if people would try hard to understand what I'm
saying here. If you don't change at least the vast majority of a person's
DNA, you end up with cancer, war between the two organisms, or, if you're
lucky, just a really fucked up looking person.
There are several solutions to this problem, most of which take a vast
amount of planning to execute.
A) a virus, released in mass quantities in the bloodstream of the subject,
which would replace the victim cells' DNA with that of the new creation. The
main problem with this is that it takes time, so the new organism would have
to be biologically compatible with the old organism, for at least the short
time that they would be in contact.
B) a carefully controlled process, most likely taking place within a liquid
suspension contamination chamber. The body would be floated apart, and each
part replaced around the brain, which would ultimately remain the same. Once
again, the new organism would have to be compatible with the old, since the
brain would not have an updated DNA.
Geeez, this is way too long.
Sorry, I guess I just like science in my Sci-Fi.

>    It's just that anything may happen between now and tomorrow, and when
it
>comes to artistic license, well, their are no boundaries.
>

<Biggest snip>

Guys, why so difficult
In enemy unknown you had that citizens bekame zombies and then that
ugly alien (lost the name) so why haven't they get that technolygie in
about 150 years????

sorry if i'am talking wrong stuff

Greetinx Micha�l 'NRG' Hompus

Jakob wrote:
> 
> Human DNA mutation and cloning is something that has been explored for
> decades, and millions of earth's greatest minds have examined the problem,
> which lies in the fact that in order to change an entire human, all of his
> cells must be patterned from the same DNA. This problem manifests itself in
> a variety of ways, not the least of which being the immune system attacking
> organ transplants because of differences.

Now, this is going to far.

First, "decades" is what? Three decades? That is NOT a lot of time,
specially considering the technology only STARTED to become
available during the eighties.

Second, the idea that changing all the cells in the body is
necessary for a successful improvement of the human body through
genetic manipulation (mutation, if you want) is, essentially
speaking, incorrect. In fact, FDA is expect to APPROVE FOR USE a
drug which HAS BEEN TESTED WITH UNHEARD-OF RESULTS attacking cancer
by changing cells of only one organ of the body, which effectively
modifying the behavior of the body biodefenses.

> Now, I would appreciate it if people would try hard to understand what I'm
> saying here. If you don't change at least the vast majority of a person's
> DNA, you end up with cancer, war between the two organisms, or, if you're
> lucky, just a really fucked up looking person.

That is false.

--
Daniel C. Sobral				(8-DCS)
d...@newsguy.com

	Make me sad.
	Make me mad.
	Make me feel alright?