Squiddy McSquids possibly short life - {Possible spoilers inside}

[Painman]

I've been quietly following these adventures... really awesome stuff. Skilled writing from a skilled player well done all round.

Hmm... Minotaur... Compatible Missiles:

"Boarding Pod"

If Squiddy can find a couple...

[Tenlar Scarflame]

The Misfits could very well be riding in style next time around, then...

Nice capture, very nice. Could put you in a great position for scoring an HM6, assuming you get it up and running in a reasonable amount of time...

By the way, how's your Argon rep these days?

[crawlerw]

if he builds a complex then he needs to make friends. man thats going to cramp his style

[Stryc9]

This just keeps getting better and better. While I was sick a week ago I couldn't keep from dragging myself to my computer to read McSquid's latest exploits then going back to bed. Can't wait for the next update. Long live Squiddy McSquid!

[Al]

As the others have said, it just gets better. I'm definitely inspired and with some passengers onboard and a need for more/bigger ships I think I'll need to do something similar. just need some time to play the game now

[RJV]

Outstanding. A shame Gaga Lo never got to enjoy the fruits of his labours, but I'm sure he has a memorial fish tank on the Boron homeworld somewhere.

What's the state of play on actual pirate bases? In my game there are a couple of bases over in Nathan's Voyage and Bright Profit, but other than that, every other one I'd discovered (at least 3, including Atreus Clouds) has gone.

Am keen to see how those repairs get funded...

Cheers,

Rob.

[Teebor]

Having only just discovered this thread I have been laughing myself off my seat for the past hour or so I spent reading it (interruptions, can't people see I'm reading )

Looking forward to the next part of the story, its been great so far.

[Necrosexual]

I notice you pass threw Loomanckstrats legacy allot.. be careful of squash mines i was killed by them in a dead-is-dead without warning no sensory data no warning just like that dead.

[MoriaOrc]

This thread is a great read, and congrats on the M7M cap!

Just thought I'd say good luck finding another training facility for your "volunteer" army . I've seen a few pirate Merc bases around my game (and a few more pirate stations that sell/train Mercs as well). Definitely start looking in some of the more out of the way Pirate sectors.

Spoiler

Show

In my game, the base you pass on one of the early Terran missions has a great Merc hiring and training facilities, and has proved relatively safe. Except that one Split M7 that came by recently. But he won't be missed (and really, who likes the Split anyway?).

[western]

This is the best ever and the following

the Split members of the squad are vehement in their claim of "Split say, foolish Boron throw pin not grenade!" I guess we'll just have to take their word for it.

had me literally crying.

I had even thought of visiting the newsagents to see if there is a magazine available with sneak previews of whats coming up in the latest X3 soap!

I think its called 'Whats on TC'!

[shinpl]

Ok... now im realy impressed... my *best* catch till now was a Vidar (yes Terran plot) and several marines 'lost in space'

Squiddy should open a "School of pirating and boarding operations" (after his retired ofcourse, and seeing how it went until now, i see him living up to old age).

Good work, keep it up!

[NUKLEAR-SLUG]

Would you believe it only took me about ten minutes to have my first shunt with the Minotaur? Yeah, thought you would..

As part of my piracy runs thru Splitfire -> Hatikvahs I've been fortunate enough to acquire a fair amount of high-level equipment which up until this point has been sat in a TS in CBSE equipment dock waiting for that day when I might actually have something to plug it into. Well it seems the day has come to put some of it to use and those 4x1Gj shields are going to come in handy after all. Jumping my Support-Hauler in I transfer across some shields and basic equipment and I'm good to get out of here before the Argon wonder why their M7M isn't reporting in anymore.

Once my shields are fully charged I jump back to my fuel base in Presidents End. As I'm busy checking the property menu I suddenly get collided with and realise it's my TM jumping in behind me. My fault completely, I'm so used to flying small ships up till now I'ld entirely forgotten that I now need to clear myself from gate lanes asap as I'm currently piloting a capital ship with a fat arse.

Fortunately the Zephyrus is fairly robust but I'm not able to recover the situation before it's lost all shields and taken about 30% hull damage. Great, I'm already facing a 14mill repair bill and now I've just tagged another couple hundred K on top to fix my TM. Still, I can't complain too much tho, I'm lucky it didn't die as that would have been even more costly given it's got two fully equipped Blastclaws on board.

Anyways, minor RTA over with it's time to consolidate my gains for the day and it seems I'm not quite as toothless as I thought. It appears I actually do have something useful to use with my new toy, 25 Flail missiles I've picked up somewhere and a single boarding pod I got from the Pirate base back on page 5, shortly before my Kestrel got ganked by that Khaak scout. Now this has definite possibilities.

My plan to capture an HCP has basically hinged on two unknown considerations. The first would be my squaddies ability to actually do the deed. The Misfits have been whittled down to a mere five now after their last successful op but they're all 3-star trained 2-star fighters. They've also more than adequately demonstrated that they're capable of capturing an M7M given the chance so by comparison an M6 should be a doddle. This leaves the second consideration which is me. Am I able to adequately suppress an HCP with my current equipment to the point where my boys can do their stuff? I'm not sure yet, but I'm going to find out. What we need is a plan, not just any plan, but a plan of the utmost cunning. Lucky me, I've got one..


Operation: 'Ooh, look! Shiny!'
------------------------------------

Intel has indicated that the two HCPs are running patrol routes throughout the main Argon sectors. These routes also encompass the border sectors of Argon space. Extended monitoring of military traffic has indicated a point of weakness, Cloudbase South-West. This sector serves the requirements of the mission on several fronts, It's small, enabling full coverage of the sector via Advsat for early warning. It has no military forces stationed there, nor does it have any police/border control prescence to intervene. There's also plenty of obstacles to use should discretion/RSLG be required.

Mission craft for the op will consist of two Blastclaws configured for EBC and ION-D with Wasp backup. EBC will be used to reduce shields and preserve weapon-energy while the ION-D will be used to fry the bejeezus out of the HCPs weapon systems. Wasp missiles will be used as a distraction against the HCP turrets if/when (more likely when) things get serious. Two Blastclaws will be used so that in the event of hull-damage a swap can be made for repairs while pressure on the HCP is maintained.

The actual capture process will be undertaken by M7M-'Ask Questions Later' using our sole boarding pod (provided I've figured out how to work it by then) while the Blastclaws run shield suppression duty.

Squad for this op will be:


Olmanckelttaks Misfits:
-----------------------

Olmanckelttak (SqdLdr)
Ha t'nst
Holigis Gutosos Yahondras VI
Na t'Ztk
Yosulis Joranos Tzessosis VIII


Operation: 'Ooh, look! Shiny!' will commence shortly after a cup of tea and a mince pie. Tales of glorious victory against overwhelming odds/bitter recriminations over failure and lives lost to follow.

[RJV]

Gah!

A cliffhanger!!!!!

Dilemma now. Constant pressing of F5, or go play X3 for a bit....

[KiwiNZ]

Haha nice one. Good luck with the mission. If you are after an easy to capture TL, go for the Yaki one. I got myself one today. Cargo bay is only around 35k but it is fast and can mount some weapons.

[Ravenholme]

This could go really well, or really badly

I look forward to seeing.

I myself will play and write up the third installment of Tupman tomorrow

Oh, and you need to be in the Minotaur to be able to launch the Boarding Pod

[Ormac]

After your acquisition of 'Ask Questions Later' and your strategy outlined in 'Oh look shiny' I can't believe you will fail

YOU'RE SQUIDDY.

Would be interested in the bounty on your head after this mission though

[LTerSlash]

Man, you inspired me to start something like that, something like the "Poisoned Parannid" start using rules, Dead is Dead, no ship buying, only use Parannid, Pirate, Yaki, Xenon or Khaak ships both for me and for my AI(other ones can be capped only to be selled), missions only for Pirates or Yakis, and with the sole propouse of recovery my ships and lay my revenge on the Parannids by destroying every one of their ships and stations, because they decided to turn on me because of my deciese and try to kill me.

This going to be fun.

[crawlerw]

i dont like the no buying ships rule. factory TS's should be legal

[THESPEEKER]

Hey Squidy

Shouldn't it have been a STA not RTA

Man your one lucky so an so you capture a M7M who's Captain
has visited Earth and has left Tea and Mince Pies on board

Now don't eat to many as you don't want to get the trots halfway
thru your capture attempt

[angels7707]

ok.. can't wait for the next installment.. going to break out the beer and chips... great story...