Author Topic: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.  (Read 5879 times)

Offline MARAUDER

  • Squaddie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
    • View Profile
Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« on: August 12, 2016, 02:32:29 am »
Ever since the end of UFO, the sectoids or ethereals fired the beacon to activate T'leth and its armies...but how and why?.
 We know they are related,if so why didn't they work together to conquer the earth since they can activate the beacon from Cydonia.

Offline Drasnighta

  • Captain
  • ***
  • Posts: 81
    • View Profile
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2016, 04:57:57 am »
Could be that they absolutely loathe and hate each other...

But the Aliens hate being beaten more...

So the Beacon is just a last ditch giant middle finger to Earth.

Offline Hobbes

  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 2101
  • Infiltration subroutine in progress
    • View Profile
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2016, 05:55:11 am »
So the Beacon is just a last ditch giant middle finger to Earth.

Yeah, it's either this, or they were so confident in their victory that they thought unnecessary to activate T'Leth despite XCom's efforts

Offline Solarius Scorch

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 11408
  • WE MUST DISSENT
    • View Profile
    • Nocturmal Productions modding studio website
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2016, 11:24:46 am »
Even if they didn't exactly hate T'leth, they didn't want to share the spoils with them.

Frankly, from the aliens' point of view, everything was going peachy. Some battles on Earth were lost, but it wasn't important, and victory seemed to be close. Then suddenly a small ship landed in their base and murdered them all...

The_Funktasm

  • Guest
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2016, 02:34:12 pm »
Probably related to the alien tendency of "let the most able man enslave the rest."

Offline Drasnighta

  • Captain
  • ***
  • Posts: 81
    • View Profile
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2016, 07:14:58 pm »
I still prefer my Giant Middle Finger theorem...

Offline Hobbes

  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 2101
  • Infiltration subroutine in progress
    • View Profile
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2016, 08:45:31 pm »
I still prefer my Giant Middle Finger theorem...

Make Cydonia Great Again! ;)

Offline yrizoud

  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 1014
    • View Profile
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2016, 06:51:26 pm »
Having read some books about the Cthulhu mythos, the middle finger theory is how I've always understood it. What is locked away deep under the oceans of Earth is *not* a tool, a weapon, or an ally. The UFO aliens had stopped this invasion from another reality and sealed the passageway, millenias ago; It's only when they're on the brink of extinction that they open the Pandora's box. "You kill our species, we condemn this entire universe."

Offline Slaughter

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 282
    • View Profile
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #8 on: November 28, 2016, 09:09:05 am »
I have a feeling that they didn't stop it, as much as their ancestors found it.
The Aquatoids may have been Eldritch cultists, or the Aquatoids on Earth may have just unleashed the Ultimate Alien when they hit T'leth on Earth.

From what I remember:

1. Aquatoids/Sectoids come from ancient Mars when it was habitable. It also explains why the solar system has no Elerium - because it was long mined out.
2. Mars started dying.
3. Sectoids/Aquatoids abandoned Mars.
4. Aquatoids send a colony ship-city (T'Leth) to Earth during the late Cretaceous.
5. T'leth crashes into Earth, causing the Late Cretaceous Extinction.
6. Gill Men (aquatic "humanoid" reptiles or amphibians) go into extinction, submit to the Aquatoids to survive.
7. T'leth sleeps, sometimes doing some activity, but never fully awakening.
8. Alien Brain send the Tachyon Signal at the end of UFO Defense.

We are never told what the Ultimate Alien/Great Dreamer is, or where it came from. It may have come with T'leth, or it may be something that was buried under the Gulf of Mexico eons past, and took over the Aquatoids when they crashed there. Considering it can't even be killed, and that its clearly a Cthulhu expy,  its probably not something the aliens brought with them.

So Middle Finger really makes more sense.

Offline Hobbes

  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 2101
  • Infiltration subroutine in progress
    • View Profile
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #9 on: December 02, 2016, 11:15:52 pm »
1. Aquatoids/Sectoids come from ancient Mars when it was habitable. It also explains why the solar system has no Elerium - because it was long mined out.

Cydonia or Bust UFOPaedia article says: "Cydonian civilization once flourished on Mars many millions of years ago, but we do not know why it died out, or what the connection is with the latest alien activity there." To me it leaves everything open to who was behind Cydonia, it could Sectoids, Gillmen, ancient humans or something else.

Offline Dr.Crowley

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 194
  • Saving data in the name of the Emperor!
    • View Profile
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2017, 09:23:43 am »
Alright, let's keep the traditions of Newcomer's Necromancy and share some thoughts.
Assuming that the aliens are not martian natives, it can be possible (in my headcanon, at least) that the aliens from UFO Defence/Enemy Unknown and TFTD can be two different expeditionary forces. Bearing this in mind it's possible to see TFTD aliens as some sort of ancient lost expedition and UD aliens as more "modern" taskforce. Anyway there is absolutely no any explanation or any single hint about if martian HQ knows exactly where their predecessors went missing (sort of "they travelled to this galaxy/system/planet and then we've lost contact with them") or even that somebody of their kind visited Solar System before. The only thing we can be sure about this is the fact that Sectoids and Aquatoids are genetic relatives.
So well, if T'leth inhabitants/crew are the lost expedition and martian HQ ever heard about them... Then Cydonia could be searching for their predecessors but the conquest is their primary objective, so search&rescue mission can be "underfunded" and it's progress can be poor (because most crafts and personnel are busy fighting our glorious X-Com). The Overmi... sorry, The Big Brain couldn't waste it's resources for broadcasting the "T'leth-1, it's the Martian HQ, report immediately" message, so perhaps it deceided to look for them after the Earth will be conquered and nobody will shoot down their precious supply ships. And then SUDDENLY X-Com knocked Cydonia's door. Realizing that everything is lost, the Big Brain finally made its pre-mortem "T'leth-1, it's the Martain HQ, we got our assess kicked, take care of yourself" broadcast (there's nothing to loose anymore, so why not).
It's a real shame that TFTD's rushed development feels not only in the numerous bugs here and there but in the plot holes like this as well.  Actually we can be theorizing forever until somebody will come here and deliver a word of God. Fan theories are good but hell, it's a creator who should explain everything, not the fans. As the friend of mine told once, "damn, they made a game about aliens, got cash and then the publisher came and ordered one more game ASAP - and they made the same game but switched from UFO paranoia to "SeaQuest meets Chutlhu Mythos". The End."

UPD.: I just found out TFTD Draft Publishing Plan and suddenly remembered that I saw the indroduction text years ago. Hell yes, it says that T'leth is the lost expedition ("the remains of a vast colonization ship"). I guess the aliens used MC to make me forget this ;D
Spoiler:
And as another moment of fridge logic the term "Molecular Control" became clear for me - while in-game it's merely a psionics by another name, background-wise it is a science-y way to name magic. It really makes sense when phantasy magic is being explained in sci-fi term, oh yes! *dramatic voice*Seems like this time we, the puny earthling, are facing allmighty alien wizards who came long time ago from the distant reaches of the void between cold uncaring stars...
« Last Edit: March 03, 2017, 01:19:44 pm by Dr.Crowley »

Offline Solarius Scorch

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 11408
  • WE MUST DISSENT
    • View Profile
    • Nocturmal Productions modding studio website
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2017, 02:02:40 pm »
Well, the expedition was lost many millions of years ago, and there is no trace of it on modern Earth. I think Mars didn't seriously consider the possibility that T'leth is still alive.

But there are also more interesting ideas. Maybe the Governor on Mars perceived T'leth (and its ruler) as a competition, or even a direct threat. Even if it's the same civilization that sent them both, it must have undergone profound changes; the Great Dreamer and its expedition is an artefact of a distant past. I wouldn't be surprised if the Governor preferred they never existed, or at least wasn't eager to wake them up.

Offline Dr.Crowley

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 194
  • Saving data in the name of the Emperor!
    • View Profile
Re: Why did the aliens fire the beacon to start TFTD.
« Reply #12 on: March 03, 2017, 04:17:32 pm »
Yeah, it's very possible EU/UD aliens are descendants (or at least successors) of the civilization that sent T'leth a long ago. First, Sectoid/Aquatoid relationship is the most obvious hint for this. How exactly they are related is still unknown. Altough Usopedia states that Aquatoid is sea-specific Sectoid variant, it sounds really strange that Sectoids didn't change/evolve after 65 millions years. It's more likely that they share ancestors, I guess. Second, both Usopedia AND TFTD Draft Publishing Plan clearly state that T'leth wasn't successful in contacting alien metropoly for aeons, so yes, the recently arrived new expedition had absolutely no idea that their long lost colony ship is right here on Earth. And even if Cydonia HQ finally discovered the truth about T'leth (and they did, because HQ at least knew that there is somebody down there), they probably were not so happy to mess with this derelict right now (or at all).
I must admit that I was definetely mind-controlled while reading in-game Usopedia before - many things I was barely suspecting are clearly stated there.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2017, 08:47:27 pm by Dr.Crowley »