UFO-enemy unknown

[Machinegunkelly]

Hi there.

I am toying with the idea of a new summer project. And find the idea of tabletopping the X-com: Enemy unknown. I haven´t really started thinking hard about it so I am very open for ideas...

What rules to use....

Where to find alien minis......

How to put together a squad, what minis to use, how to make them easy to evolve during campaign without rebuilding the mini everytime you rise in level or die...

How to capture the feeling you got when playing the original Xcom back in the good old days.

How to use civilans running in the way and getting killed. How aliens abduct and kill civilians.

How to manage a squad economy during campaign based on surviving civilians, captured live aliens/technology, killed aliens.

[Maspalio]

never played this game but...

- squad minis : Infinity range (a lot of choice) or Marines from the Reaper Chronoscope range or MERCS minis

- rules : NoLimit ruleset...very good one and free  

[Cherno]

Check out LuckyJoe's blog for inspiration (15mm though):

http://ljshobbyspot.blogspot.de/2011/02/15mm-x-com.html

[Commander Vyper]

Tengu miniatures.  Greys, greys in suits and zombie greys too.

[Machinegunkelly]

Thanks for the help. Those where some really good suggestions.

[ink the troll]

Some more greys:

Reaper: http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/aliens

Zombiesmith (might be a bit too cute-ish for your purpose though): http://www.zombiesmith.com/products/grey-assault

[Inso]

A link to the Commander's suggestion:

http://www.tengumodels.co.uk/userimages/Greys(2809297).htm

Very nice little miniatures and if you need smaller versions, there are 15mm versions soon to be available from Khurasan Miniatures :

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=296886&page=1

[P_Clapham]

A few years ago a college buddy of mine dug out some X-Com rules.  Someone had gone through the coding for the computer game and converted it into a tabletop game.  We tried it out, and while fun I found it a bit clunky.  I started to adapt the Supersystem for a second run at the game.  Before we could get too far into it, both of us had graduated.

The company that makes the Supersystem has a science fiction version of their game out called Blasters and Bulkheads.  I went with that rules set because of it's ease of use, and flexibility.  Supersystem is kind of like the Champions of Wargames. 

[Machinegunkelly]

Thank you all for you help. It is always helpful to get advice from fellow hobbyist. Keep it up please.

[Mako]

Minis probably depend upon the scale of the UFOs you intend to use, assuming you can find them.

For the rules, I've been considering FUBAR, CR3-5150 (and, or some of their latest releases), and/or possibly some home grown rules, just based upon the episodes.

The plastic kits are probably the easiest to get, but are fairly large, so would require big, expensive figures to go with them.

The diecasts are great, but very expensive, and hard to find.

The Konami ones are probably the best bargains, but are creeping up in price to run the same, or more than the plastic model kits.

If you go with the latter though, you have more options, in my opinion, at least currently, for figures.

You can go with the GZG Light Vacc Suit troops in 15mm scale for the Aliens.  They look very similar to the ones from the TV show, so are good stand-ins for those.

For SHADO Security troops, you can go a number of routes, e.g. with GZG, Khurasan, or Rebel Minis, amongst others.  Perhaps Exterminators for these, and/or Rebel's Earth Force Infiltrators as well (they have futuristic looking uniforms and are wearing motorcycle-style, full-face helmets, so you can presume they are wearing those for protection, or after the Moonbase has decompressed).

For the Moonbase girls, both Khurasan and Rebel produce some decent stand-ins for them.  Black Widow Mercs for Rebel (the ones without the coats).  Can't recall what the name is for the female Khurasan set, but they are in tight fitting clothing, so should work okay - they have big, futuristic weapons.

About the only thing missing are futuristic civilians, in form-fitting clothing, and/or miniskirts.  A shame really, but hopefully someone will eventually come out with those too.

Let me know what you decide, since I've always wanted to run some UFO games as well.

[Machinegunkelly]

Hi Mako.

Thanks for the reply. It was nice of you to take your time and give me a reply. Unfortunatly I haven´t got a clue to what you are talking about, except that there seem to be some TV-series called UFO.

I am sorry but had I known there was I would have been more thorough in writing the name of my thread. I am thinking about an old computergame (about 1990) called UFO: Enemy unknown.

But I am going to check it out and see if I can find an episode of the TVseries you are talking about. It seems fun.

------

As for UFO - Enemy unknown:

I think I will go for 2 sets of Tengu greys to start with. But I will need to arm them, so I´ll have to find good laserpistols/ -rifles to start with. I could go for GW plasma guns but if there is anyone who knows some other fun Sci-fi (not retro 50th) laser weapons please give me suggestions.

[beefcake]

I'll be really interested in seeing how this goes. I really want to get that game out and start playing again. My brother got the new one when it first came out but I was a bit disappointed to see that you didn't control base making. Base attacks were some of the best parts of the game. I'm pretty sure everyone that played had a soldier that became virtually a superhero., yuri kolotov was the name generated for my super soldier. Funny I still remember that.

Nostalgic memory over.

[Cherno]

These kinds of projects popping up every now and then really pushes home the point that some sculptor should pick up the duty of making a series of models based on the first X-Com game. I'm pretty sure they would sell reasonably well. There are miniatures for the Greys/Sectoids but Snakemen, Floaters, Cyberdiscs etc. with weaponry? Please, someone make these! 

[Mako]

Sorry for the confusion, and my adding to it.

I thought everyone had heard of UFO, the TV series.

Here are some links to more info:

http://ufoseries.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO_(TV_series)

I saw you mentioned UFO and X-Com, and from what I've read of the latter, the Gerry Anderson, UFO TV series was pretty much the inspiration for the game.  They've tweaked a few things, and added more alien types, but its pretty similar to the show.

You should definitely check it out, since it is worth viewing.  Only lasted one season, sadly, but it was very good for its time.

Here's a link to a photo of a UFO:

http://rightbrane.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/ufo_ufo.jpg

Here's a link to some publicity images from the show:

http://ufoseries.com/publicity/

Not sure it's on TV anymore, but you can purchase the DVD set of the series.  Definitely a must, if you are a SciFi fan, and great scenario fodder for your games.

The basic premise is that aliens are coming to the Earth and kidnapping humans in some cases.  It's not clear, beyond that, why they are really traveling all the way to Earth, but there is some conjecture in the show about that.

SHADO is being set up to defend against the aliens, and to keep them from accomplishing their mission.  SHADO is a super-secret organization, with a base on the moon, and various defense forces used to defend against, and destroy the alien UFOs.

There are lots of great SciFi hardware, and eye candy in the show, so I definitely recommend it.

Obviously, you can add in other aliens, like in X-Com, in order to fill out your game, if you desire more than one alien race to defend against.

As mentioned, you can use some of the models, diecast toys, etc., in order to support your games as well.  You can find some minis on eBay.

With the new movie, destined to come out in the next year, or two, I imagine there may be more toys to go with that too.

[Gun bunny]

About the only thing missing are futuristic civilians, in form-fitting clothing, and/or miniskirts.  A shame really, but hopefully someone will eventually come out with those too.

Let me know what you decide, since I've always wanted to run some UFO games as well.
[/quote]

Antenociti's Workshop has sci-fi civilians in 28mm anyway.