So after reading this and seeing the other X-COM threads, I decided to reinstall TFTD. Even though I still have the original three games in the series, I got the Steam package deal. $15 seems a small price to pay to spare myself a spelunking mission through the closets, and not have to install Dosbox and all that. It's probably been about 8-9 years since I last played, and the return wasn't pretty. Bad luck and rusty skills smacked me down pretty good.
First base I chose to install near the coast of Japan. Turns out this was the quietest area for alien activity. I had already sunk a lot into building the place up by the time I realized that. A couple of USOs skittered past me if the first few weeks, but I was unable to catch or shoot them down. I sent out patrols fairly regularly, but turned up nothing.
It wasn't until mid-February that I got my first mission - a port attack in west Africa. By now I had already researched and produced Gauss rifles and cannons, so I was feeling better about my chances than the usual first-mission harpoon and gas-cannon loadout. I land at the site, and on the second turn, an alien tosses a grenade right at the triton's entrance, dropping 7 aquanauts instantly. The other three panic, drop their weapons and are subsequently picked off. In just four turns on my first mission, I managed to lose everybody, all my equipment, as well as the Triton, - without killing a single alien. The bean-counters aren't gonna like that.
Two weeks later, I get another call. Another port attack in Miami - at night of course. I manage to get everyone out, and even down a few aliens, but the combination of my squad's inaccuracy and my long out-of-practice X-COM tactics have things taking a sharp turn for the worse before long. It's clear I'm going to have to abort, and my primary objective turns to grabbing some alien weaponry so I can at least start research on those. I end up losing three aquanauts just to accomplish that, but I do manage to get out of there with 4 squaddies alive, some Blasta rifles, pulsar grenades, and a couple of dead alien specimens.
My first shipping attack call comes in March. Cargo ship being attacked by bio-drones and tasoth. Again, most of my guys have no experience, and disaster strikes again. I managed to make it into the holds and drop a few aliens, but the mind-control attacks are too overwhelming. My eventual demise comes in the form of an unconscious tasoth that I attempt to drag back to the ship. The folly of temptation. The two remaining aquanauts tasked with this never make it back. Another Triton with all hands lost.
Two days later, I get another call for a shipping attack, but I have no one or even a ship to send, so I have to let it go. A week later, I have my first successful mission - an island attack. I lose 9 of 14 aquanauts, save 5 civilians (that was total luck), and torch an entire beach house
. But I get some goodies to take back with me and have my first ace in the squad. Again, very shortly thereafter, I get another shipping SOS, but I'm too under-manned and under-gunned to feel I can take it on and let it go (I forgot how badly ignoring a terror strikes counts against you in this game).
By June, My production facility in Japan is cranking out Gauss Sub-Cannons to try and cover the rapidly dwindling funding, and I've established a base in the North Atlantic and have transferred a Barracuda there. Lots more activity in this area, and I start sending out the Triton on regular patrol. I turn up a medium-sized USO and land there. This is my first underwater mission - in June. Things go pretty well at first, but storming the alien vessel turns a bit costly. I lost 7 guys, including my ace (who was up to 8 kills by this point) to a head wound on the last turn, and caused significant damage to the USO with grenades. But I do manage to get a nice amount of Zrbite and Aquaplastic.
Shortly after, I shoot down a small USO and send the crew after it. It appears there is one survivor - a lone lobsterman. I've got some Blasta rifles, but few clips, so it's still mostly Gauss weaponry. Mr Lobster manages to get everyone armed with blastas right away and takes at least 15 hits from the Gauss guns without falling. Sending any of my guys to try and reclaim a blasta turns into a death-warrant. Damn thing almost single-handedly wiped out my entire crew. I manage to get one back to the ship and take off empty-handed so that I don't have to purchase a fourth Triton in my first seven months.
By late July, I get my first total success mission - 8 aliens killed, no losses, and an alien USO with no damage. But it's too little too late. At the end of the month, I get the call that everyone has pulled out of X-COM funding and the aliens take over. Once again, I'm responsible for the end of humanity.
I'll start on round two soon, but I think I'll take a (rusty) swing at Apocalypse again first.
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