Lette scouts the area. It looks that there was a heavy battle here:
Some reavers are visible inside the building
But we cannot access it from west. We have to go east. Lette does it, finds two spider bots (the hard way):
There's also regular robot to the south
Lette blows up first spider
Other units move in her direction. Warcupine breaks second spider
All snipers move south and attack the remaining robot
Poor bastard isn't able to shoot back. WC takes him down:
Lette continues south, finds another spider. Monkey kills it:
It's time to continue SW
Monkey finds and KOs another robot
Lette and Monkey continue south. There's another robot there, sleeping.
root wakes him up
Warcupine softens him up further, Lette ends the fun:
All units continue west, Monkey kills the KOed robot
We can move inside the building now
Except the reavers (and some items), the building is totally empty
Bro speaks with another reaver leader:
Tobias Peste
Code:
I am Tobias Peste, Chief of Military Science Projects.
On my eleventh day of fasting, St. Sony visited me in my deepest of dreams. He told me of an Electro-Magnetic Pulse that will be the salvation of the Wasteland.
For weeks I toiled in our Temple-Laboratory until I gave that vision physical form! And by 'Ohms Holy Law', I will not rest until it reaches a place of sanctuary!
Here is the key to the safe! The weapon is inside!
Our prophecies told us our faith would be tested. But now the robots are taking prisoners instead of letting our fighters go to their rewards in the eternal Assembly Lines of Panasonica.
For what purpose are they taking my brethren? This must be discovered! Let's stop wasting time.
Bro opens the nearby safe using the key he received from Tobias. He finds something p. useful inside:
All units level up. Once again, it's a Perk Time! (and "who picked up what" time)
Bro: Bonus Ranged Damage + EW
He checks out the new weapon as well:
One of the best energy weapons in close combat thanks to low AP cost...
Monkey: More Criticals + SG & Throwing
root: More Criticals + Throwing
Lette: More Criticals + BG
WC: Bonus Ranged Damage + Throwing
All units (and Tobias) leave the building. It's time to "free" the last leader:
But first we have to go back to the extraction point, scouting the centre of the map (robot-free)
Tobias reaches the exit:
The team goes back to the hot zone
Lette tries to scout the area, finds 5 spider bots who surround her:
She destroys three of them
During computer turn she gets bitten, but also receives some fire support from nearby reavers
All snipers help Lette. Compare usefulness of both WC's weapons:
WC kills one of the spiders, Lette rapes the remaining one
She finds the last reaver leader
Rodger Gaire
Code:
Well met, warrior!
This can only be the work of Satansoft, Lord of the Tech-Underworld. His sinister hydroelectric fiends care not for the spiritual enlightenment of science. They seek only to destroy the union between spirit and current flow!
If only we were able to make more EMP weapons, we would have halted their electrons in mid flow. I know of the bargain... use our divine knowledge to short circuit these demonic juggernauts while there is still time.
Hurry! Let us make haste!
Lette finds some .50 ammo in nearby chest
One thing left - the SE corner of the map
Our team leaves Rodger behind and moves in
As often, our snipers engage the enemies before Lette is able to move closer
Security bots take their revenge on Bro
Lette blows up one of them
root rapes the last one
Monkey scouts the area. AFAIR there should be a well-hidden prize here...
Monkey finds it finally:
Only one unit is worthy of wearing this armor:
Let's leave this area. Rodger reaches the exit:
All units move onto the grid, root drives the tank there as well (driving through some reaver elders):
General Dekker
Code:
What's left of the Reaver Movement is now being administered medical attention. They are grateful for their rescue but the Elders are not so quick to invite them into the Brotherhood fold.
For the time being they will be kept in one of our many internment camps. This is an excellent time for our interrogators and scribes to pick their brains on any additional technology and their past and future plans.
They will be kept there until the Elders decide whether to set them free or restrict them to labor camps.
The Menace from the West's taking of prisoners is most curious considering that the robots have slaughtered everything before them until now. We must wait and see.
Well done acquiring the EMP device. Our scribes are now preparing to modify the weapon to use our power cells. Once this is achieved, we will begin production. I shudder to think what our situation would be without having an actual prototype. The man-hours to replicate it would have taxed our scribes tremendously.
Once again, good work.
Dismissed.
We stop in the middle of the wasteland to check out if everything went well
It did.
On the way home we bump into another special encounter.
56-61
I think that some people in Interplay liked Shellac a little bit too much...
We go back to the bunker and access the Recruitment Center. Four new recruits available:
It's time for Obvious, Cassidy and Todd to join the 'Hood:
Our team gets diversified further:
Ashery has 204 SPs and one Perk to spend.
He picks up BRoF and increases his SG, EW & Throwing
Bro sells all junk and weapons / ammo that won't be useful in the future (Grenade Launchers, regular Shotgun ammo etc.), buys some Electrical Rockets and EMP Shells:
Too bad that new Power Armors aren't available...
Ashery switches his Ghoul Armor for Bro's Enviro Armor Mk. 2 (penalty to PER but whatever, I'm not going to buy a new armor for him)
Bro speaks with the General
The time has come to relocate to the final bunker, people!
Slide Show 4
Code:
The Brotherhood's fears are confirmed, the robots now have multiple production factories around the wasteland. They are concentrated heavily around the great mountains, in a region known as Colorado Springs. This is the fabled location of Vault 0, which houses the mastermind behind the robot menace, the Calculator. Data from the Brotherhood research centre dates the origin of the robots before the war, that decimated the land, their purpose to help humanity crawl back from the brink of self destruction but the robots now seem to destroy the very humans they were created to save. They boast great strength and power and one factor seems certain, all life forms have become their prey.
The Brotherhood has adapted to new enemies before however, and with the development of new weapons they will adapt again. Brotherhood tacticians and Generals will not be idle, for new enemies require new tactics, assault squads must be directed at the robot production and command centres that supply the Calculator's metallic ranks. The Brotherhood's predicted losses are staggering but what is life as a warrior without peril?
We reach Bunker Epsilon:
More like "Camp Epsilon" actually:
Some new and old NPCs there:
Tiduk
Code:
Sir, yes sir.
I'm Initiate Tiduk, sir. I have known of you since Brahmin Woods. That's where I came from, sir. It is an honour to meet you.
I ... I am the sole survivor of my squad. We were returning from a successful mission when we were ambushed by the robots. My sister, Initiate Shauri, ordered a few of us to retreat. I managed to get away, but the rest of the squad was wiped out.
Oh sister! I'm so sorry! I was jealous of you and now you're gone!
*sob*
How can I face my family?
We meet a new Quartermaster
Paladin Folleto
Code:
Stand at attention, warrior.
My name is Folleto and I'm the Quartermaster for this bunker. It seems your name appears on my list, so you'll be dealing with me from now on.
Let me make one thing clear: Your heroics, your exploits - they mean absolutely nothing if you don't follow proper procedure. You will sign for your equipment. You will make a strong effort to return borrowed equipment in pristine condition. If your equipment is damaged, you fill out the appropriate paperwork.
I run a tight shop here. Don't flip my switch, understand?
Good.
I have some good (?) news as well - it looks that Bro's Karma automagically fixed itself:
Probably after some Karma-check or something? I have no idea what happened / what fixed this...
Bro speaks with the General:
Once again we have to missions available.
1) Canyon City
General Dekker
Code:
Warrior.
Every day brings us closer to the final confrontation with the Calculator. While we do not yet know who or what the Calculator is, we do realize that our forces are still greatly outmatched. We have learned new tactics, increased our arsenal, and strengthened our realm of control, but the robots are still too powerful and too numerous.
The old Brotherhood saying, "To kill a snake, cut off its head," does not apply to this mechanical serpent. For this one, we must start with the tip of the tail and progress slowly to its head and vitals. This serpent must be weakened first, for its fangs sink deep and its venom is far more deadly than any poison ever encountered.
You are to take your squad to the town of Canyon City where the Calculator has set up a robot repair station. It is in this station that damaged robots are mended and parts of destroyed robots are rebuilt and combined to form a whole. This repair plant must be permanently shut down.
This station is too huge to destroy. It would take too much time and resources to reduce this station to rubble, so we will disable it instead on. It is the power-nodes that you should focus your attention. Destroying them all should slow the robots down... in theory at least.
We are entering the final phase of our plans. Complete your mission objective above all else, but keep your eyes open for any additional information or weakness that might present itself.
Good luck.
Dismissed.
2) Buena Vista
General Dekker
Code:
At ease, warrior.
It is time to pull the plug on the robots' power source. Reconnaissance has found an operating nuclear reactor located on the outskirts of the town of Buena Vista. We believe that it is this reactor that is supplying the vast majority of power to the robot army.
In addition, analysis shows that more robots have exited the facility compared to the number that entered it. You don't have to be a scribe to realize that they have a robot production plant next to, or near, the reactor.
We have hit the robots too many times to be ignored and we won't take them by surprise again. We need you to eliminate as many of the robots as you can. Intelligence's observations confirm that straggler robots are programmed to report to an active base for reassignment. Every robot that escapes will only return in greater numbers.
Remember, bring the reactor off line... permanently! Disable the robot manufacturing plant and crush as many robots as possible.
You have your orders.
Dismissed.
Since I was offline for almost two weeks, I wasn't able to start a proper DISCUSSion this time...
I've decided to start with Canyon City...
(One update up, four more to go...
)