[ENEMY] alien hybrid race project

[Solarius Scorch]

Just a little something I wanted to try:







This is an attempt to create the human-alien hybrid race, that already features heavily in the X-Com canon. As you can see, it's coming together rather nicely, especially considering that I've never really made any sprites before.

The bigob is taken from the Xenonauts, the Ufopaedia pic is taken from a Xenonauts mod, and the sprites are based on the Caesan concept from Xenonauts (mostly to match the objects).

I don't know what to do with this race yet. I could just throw it with the other the races, but I am tempted to do something more original, like giving them special UFOs and special missions, maybe giving them human weapons too. And perhaps make Sectoids their officers?

[Daedalus]

Nice. Would love to see them in some special missions and maybe as a backup unit in Sectoid terror missions.

[luke83]

Just what i have been waiting for to command my Gang members and to attack government facilities to generate some new mission types.

[Deskulpa]

The Xenocom race haha.
Now we just need a bomb defuse mission.

[Solarius Scorch]

Haha, thanks for the encouragement everyone.

So here's what I'm planning at the moment:

• Unique missions. Hybrids will not go on standard alien missions (though they'll likely be used in infiltration-related missions, called Alien Diplomacy or such). A possible exception would be Alien Base.
• Unique UFOs. Mostly to avoid problems with deployments, but also for additional flavour.
• Probably unique weapons. Since they're technically Earthlings, I think they deserve their own branch of weapons, not just plasmas. But what would it be to avoid overlapping with the Men in Black? Lasers and gauss weapons would be repetitive... I just don't know yet.
• Sectoid Leaders as their leaders. And possibly as their Commanders too, since I don't really want to give them Sectoid Commanders - they have more pressing matters to attend to than babysitting stupid hybrids.

Every and all goals are subject to change with no explanation whatsoever.

[essohbe]

This is cool!

[Solarius Scorch]

This is cool!

Thanks!

I've been really busy recently, and therefore all I did was polishing the sprites.

I think at some point I'll try adding Earth vehicles as "UFOs" (immobile, grounded), so you can surprise a minivan full of AK47-toting half-alien bastards.

[Arcalane]

Probably unique weapons. Since they're technically Earthlings, I think they deserve their own branch of weapons, not just plasmas. But what would it be to avoid overlapping with the Men in Black? Lasers and gauss weapons would be repetitive... I just don't know yet.

Alien Surgery demonstrates the aliens at least have laser cutting devices, so whilst it's not really original, it's not implausible that the hybrids would possess (alien) laser weapons - which, in a modified tech tree, might provide the starting point for XCOM's own laser weapons if the hybrids are the first aliens encountered. The other alternative might be 'fettered' plasma weapons (power limiters installed, so less effective) or conventional projectile weapons using alloy materials; either way, the aliens may be unwilling to give them full-strength plasma weapons in case they get rebellious.

Sectoid Leaders as their leaders. And possibly as their Commanders too, since I don't really want to give them Sectoid Commanders - they have more pressing matters to attend to than babysitting stupid hybrids.

I'd suggest throwing in Sectoid Medics as well - this wouldn't do much from a gameplay standpoint, but for 'fluff'; the medics would be there to keep the hybrids functioning properly whilst also keeping them reliant on their masters for medical attention (and thus, hopefully, less likely to rebel).

As a sidenote, the battlescape view makes them look like they have googly eyes...

[Solarius Scorch]

Alien Surgery demonstrates the aliens at least have laser cutting devices, so whilst it's not really original, it's not implausible that the hybrids would possess (alien) laser weapons - which, in a modified tech tree, might provide the starting point for XCOM's own laser weapons if the hybrids are the first aliens encountered.

It's a good idea. In my personal game, as well as the Final Mod Pack, the Men in Black use lasers and gauss weapons, so maybe they should be using the same equipment as the hybrids? After all they have the same supplier, heh heh...
But I also want to give some of them Earth weapons. I think about giving them classic Earth weapons - not as good as the cutting edge weapons used by X-Com, but comparable. It's basically an excuse to put more stuff in the game without stuffing the purchase list. Plus, I think it'd make sense - some have alien tech, the rest has to work with what they got from the black market.

The other alternative might be 'fettered' plasma weapons (power limiters installed, so less effective) or conventional projectile weapons using alloy materials; either way, the aliens may be unwilling to give them full-strength plasma weapons in case they get rebellious.

Hmm... There are some alternative plasma sprites around here, I could use them. But I'm not sure at this point if I can fit them in the mod.

Also, their Leaders and Commanders will be Sectoids - they will have real alien weapons.

I'd suggest throwing in Sectoid Medics as well - this wouldn't do much from a gameplay standpoint, but for 'fluff'; the medics would be there to keep the hybrids functioning properly whilst also keeping them reliant on their masters for medical attention (and thus, hopefully, less likely to rebel).

I don't want to have too many Sectoids... Unless perhaps I could place a Sectoid Medic instead of the Sectoid Commander OR Sectoid Leader...? Hmmm...

As a sidenote, the battlescape view makes them look like they have googly eyes...

Aye. The horror of alien experiments!

[Solarius Scorch]

Some proof this project is alive and kicking:


Half-alien servants transport mysterious materials, meant to facilitate contact with Earth governments.


Alien hybrids use automated drones to protect their vital infrastructure.

[XCOMFan419]

Xenonauts stuff in OpenXcom? What is this, fanfiction.net?

This looks good. Maybe instead of Plasma/Lasers/Gauss what about Particle Beams? It's essentially a mix between high energy weapons and a kinetic weapon. It's launching a beam of particles, essentially.

Either that, or something like the Xenonauts Alien weapons, which I find are more like high energy weapons, probably plasma of some kind but not like XCOM plasma, more like Halo's plasma weaponry.

If that makes sense.

[Solarius Scorch]

Xenonauts stuff in OpenXcom? What is this, fanfiction.net?

Well, I believe in getting the best of both worlds.

This looks good. Maybe instead of Plasma/Lasers/Gauss what about Particle Beams? It's essentially a mix between high energy weapons and a kinetic weapon. It's launching a beam of particles, essentially.

Either that, or something like the Xenonauts Alien weapons, which I find are more like high energy weapons, probably plasma of some kind but not like XCOM plasma, more like Halo's plasma weaponry.

Actually, I have a different conception. They're basically agents, often sleepers, who pretty much run their organization by themselves and only rarely meet their alien masters. Besides, real alien tech would give them away, and also they're not completely trusted by the aliens, so they're not given any plasmas without good reason. Therefore, their equipment mostly consists of what they can buy on Earth: shotguns, pistols, explosives.

Yes, what I'm going to do is to add a bunch of low-tech weapons to the game and make the hybrids use them. By low-tech, I mean even worse than your starting equipment (though not by much). It's a pretext to add more weapons to the game without bloating the buying list: all those AK-47s, snubnose pistols etc. that are floating around the mod section will find some use here.

Oh, and before you think they'll be too easy: sometimes there will be Sectoids among them, and they will carry real alien weapons.

[guille1434]

Well, I think that a new weapon family for the late game aliens could be a good idea, adding a new generation of weapons for them after they realize that X-Com armour is a bit too much for their standard plasma weapons... I think it could be a family of hand weapons derived from the fusion ball launcher (an alien technology) or as it was mentioned a particle beam based weapon family...
Also, the idea of making the Hybrid race a kind of poor cousins (weapons-wise) of the aliens is a very good one... Like they are used by the Aliens for the most risky missions as cannon fodder (better to loose a grouo of hybrids than some precious Sectoids or Snakemen). Could they also be made to attack in higher numbers than regular aliens, some kind of "Human (hybrid)-wave" combat tactic? :-)
Just a thought...

[Solarius Scorch]

Well, I think that a new weapon family for the late game aliens could be a good idea, adding a new generation of weapons for them after they realize that X-Com armour is a bit too much for their standard plasma weapons...

No, it's not too much.

I think it could be a family of hand weapons derived from the fusion ball launcher (an alien technology) or as it was mentioned a particle beam based weapon family... Just a thought...

I'll think of something maybe, though perhaps the Elerium Bomb mod is a valid answer to such needs?

[XCOMFan419]

Well, I believe in getting the best of both worlds.

Actually, I have a different conception. They're basically agents, often sleepers, who pretty much run their organization by themselves and only rarely meet their alien masters. Besides, real alien tech would give them away, and also they're not completely trusted by the aliens, so they're not given any plasmas without good reason. Therefore, their equipment mostly consists of what they can buy on Earth: shotguns, pistols, explosives.

Understandable. It's an interesting concept. I'd imagine that they operate the same as MiB?

Yes, what I'm going to do is to add a bunch of low-tech weapons to the game and make the hybrids use them. By low-tech, I mean even worse than your starting equipment (though not by much). It's a pretext to add more weapons to the game without bloating the buying list: all those AK-47s, snubnose pistols etc. that are floating around the mod section will find some use here.

Oh, and before you think they'll be too easy: sometimes there will be Sectoids among them, and they will carry real alien weapons.

Still sounds super easy. I think that in the later stages of the game, they should be more incorporated into the Alien Hierarchy. Used in place of Sectoids, of course. The particle beams could be their weapon, or at least something like that. Plasmas are getting a little monotonous