Storyline variant: artifact as the reason for invasion

[Bandobras]

Storyline variant: artifact as the reason for invasion. A summary of current ideas and problems (as I see them, obviously most ideas stolen:P).

General idea: the reason for alien invasion is an artifact hidden somewhere on Earth (possibly in parts, etc.).

Main advantages:

Nonlinear plot when the reason for invasion is revealed.

You can decide to help the aliens, with or against UN, greedy politicians, etc. and your missions would then involve search of the Earth, fights with Earth armies, with rogue aliens, plot-twists after you eventually find the thing, etc.

By the time the player finds out about what's really going on, the aliens have already located the artifact, or even retrieved some of its parts. It also becomes clear that Earth is to be the test subject for the weapon, both to try it out and to take revenge on those pesky humans that got in the way so much. Ergo, the aliens REALLY don't care about us, yet we still struggle for survival.
[/list]

Different end-games.

Do we take the artifact for ourselves, and use it to destroy the the alien mother-ship and defend ourselves against further alien aggression? Or do we try to destroy it? Is it even possible? But we could shoot it into the sun, where nobody's going to take it back. Would aliens then leave? Or maybe we build a spaceship and send the artifact to the alien home-world to nuke their asses and then the local Earth aliens get freaked out and flee?

As for the Endgame, giving the alien the artifact results in a bad ending. Outsmarting the aliens (like sabotaging the artifact or sending a fake) results in a good ending. Blowing it up or getting rid of it results in a neutral ending. (what about ruling the universe?)
[/list]

It may explain some game-play mechanics, e.g. the small scale of the conflict (at least at the beginning).

It explains why lots of alien scouts instead of outright total war.

Perhaps the alien mission is only resupply or archeologic mission and they have to build the ad-hoc army on-site.

The aliens did not expect an organized resistance. They arrived with a 'pacification' unit to calm the natives, they were not expecting full blown war. Hence they're better equipped, but are forced to deal with the situation by means alternative to straight out violence.

They really don't care about Earth so they just sneak around and hope to stumble on the artifact without anybody noticing.
[/list]
[/list]

Problems:

What is it?

an important natural resource depleted on their home-world (

We've got some rare mineral that the aliens would like to mine. Unfortunately most of our cities happen to be situated on top of it.)

a common Earth plant that happens to prolong the alien's lives

a superb technological space-warfare weapon?

a weapon of mass destruction, a planet killer? (personally BloodMagus finds this rather cliche. If used, needs to be done carefully with a lot of thought.)

Earth is planet-weapon built on a border of some ancient empire

a mystic fifth-dimension Egyptian god's miracle ankh of immortality? (We've got some wizbang item that the aliens want, that does really cool things.)

Ancient Map - we're home to some intergalactic map. (cool!)

What about a treasure hunt, though? Suppose we're actually dealing with a private army of some alien warlord who is out to find, for lack of a better term, the treasure of Captain Greenbeard, who has buried it on planet 3 of this star system, at the X. It'd be silly, but it'd allow us to put eyepatches on aliens! (Arrr!)
[/list]

If it's a portable weapon, who left it and when?

humans of Atlantis, when they accidentally pushed the wrong button

other aliens dropped it (a hundred or a thousand years ago) when fleeing from Antareans, which kill them and learn where to search for it

other aliens, to let us defend ourselves (very long ago, this suggests this is not a very offensive weapon, e.g.

Why aliens won't nuke earth? It is impossible, the artifacts protect earth from being nuked from space. This would explain why we are still alive after decades of cold war and doubtless many cases of pressing the wrong button on ballistic missile consoles. The artifact also has some other powers, but mostly defensive, they can be learnt progressively.)

Antareans themselves dropped it long ago, using Earth as an arms storage (natural Earth resources also help in readying the weapons), now they need it for a conflict not far away.
[/list]

Why don't they just get it and go away?

their enemies made Earth dangerous to Antareans so they slowly rebuild their survival kits for such an extreme environment (radiation or lack of it, etc.)

artifact well guarded by some humans that know how to use it to some extent to deter small scouting missions (a "classified" project of KGB or some ancient conspiracy) so

your mission is to locate them too, so there will pop up missions like: Aliens landed near of some house go and check out, maybe there is some "group member or hint there" and similar  

it is in parts and well hidden, slave work or just lots of time and peace required

the artifact parts are very powerful, they can't be transported right away or they auto-destruct or just destruct the transport craft, to transport them they need to fix them for space traveling

Its location is perhaps recorded somewhere on earth, and that too needs to be located first. Or perhaps some destructible locating device exists. These points explain why the aliens didn't just nuke the planet from orbit if the artifact is indestructible.
[/list]

Why don't we just give it to them right away?

we cannot find it, it is too well hidden

not after what Antareans have done; the could have asked at the beginning, but they didn't trust us, so now, after Mumbai, it's too late, revenge time (but of course some politicians will try to argue)

the artifact could be beneficial to us, so UN does not want to promise giving it away and aliens do not want to tell more about it, even when we finally promise, so that we do not find it for ourselves --- stalemate

They're not interested in sharing. What ever they're after, they don't want us knowing about it. Hence why we can't help them find it. In fact they attempt to keep it secret as to what they're really up to. One of the goals in stopping the invasion would be discovering why its taking place. Then it becomes a race to see who can find the item first.
[/list]

Why haven't we found it before?

the artifact is hidden deep under the Earth's surface, beyond the reach of archaeologists and miners (but then it could melt or be destroyed be tectonic forces)

it is covered in carbon-made super-tough material looking like a rock and detected by instruments as a normal rock, so we would have to go over all Earth with pneumatic drills and break all rocks --- the ones that do not break are parts of the artifact

we have already found it ages ago; it is what Sphinx (Mayan Pyramids, Great Wall, etc.) have inside them. But it sounds unbelievable or only an ancient conspiracy knows about it, so nobody searches right there interpreting all measurements as common anomalies for ancient ruins.

floating in an under-ice lake (Vostok?)

If the item was by chance indestructible, it would have to be rather small and not possible to locate by various scans, hence making it impossible to find it in a planet full of rubble.
[/list]

How did it survive climatic/tectonic/etc. processes for so long?

What it certainly is is indestructible, because it couldn't have survived the erosion of ages any other way.

The item (or person) that the aliens seek is not indestructible, else they'd have just nuked earth from orbit and search through the rubble. Its capable of resisting the effects of time, but not a close proximity nuclear blast.

Perhaps it wasn't so long?

Don't rocks on the Earth surface in the equatorial areas survive very well for ages, e.g. rocks on Sahara? Also, choose middle areas of tectonic plates so that they do not get swiped too deep and melted. Even better, place the artifact pieces a bit under granite or basalt covers, so that when the terrain is submerged the artifact is not moved by water.

They come from time to time and repair any cracks in the basalt storage chambers.
[/list]

Wouldn't the player be let down that all that fight was for nothing, since aliens are not really interested in us only in the artifact?

I'm a hero all the way, I just stop fighting for Earth that aliens do not really care about, and start fighting for the artifact, against aliens, or greedy politicians, or whatever. These are real turns in plot that indeed show your heroism was laughable, but empower you to become a mature hero at last. I don't think I would quit playing at that moment.

The fight was not for nothing since we were really attacked, even if by accident, and the result of the fight is a nicely equipped and trained mini-army ready seize control of the artifact and rule the universe. Whoa!

Why do they build bases and kidnap humans or animals?

Do they? As for bases, they need some comfort when searching, preparing the artifact pieces for transport, etc. Not to mention fending off those pesky humans or infiltrating nations to get help in the search.

[/list]

Any additions, thoughts, preferences?

[Northen_Wolf]

suggestion:

---Artifact(s)---

A)  It's was a ancient "mega-computer". Computer that missions was to store+analys+send foward info and orders (saves aliens brain cells from getting too much info and allowes them to live longer). By an accident (or someones will) computer started sending foward "kill'em" info that drived aliens grazy.
    Grazy aliens are just attacking everything and are also looking for the master computer, who now controls them, Thats why they won't nuke earth. They don't know its location, only thing they know is that they need certain materials to dig out? (open or whatever) the Computers hiding place. All of them want to do it faster as someone else, and they have bloodlust. They work unorganized as computer can't control them so much yet
  Some aliens who didn't use the super computer system, were not affected, they are the ones who're building bases and kidnaping humans (for finding out why humans attack them(normal humans don't know that).

But humans attack them cuz they think they are hostile. It takes some time (new thecs) to understand that (for humans).
  Non hostile aliens don't want to kill theyr comarades who are under control, as they know that they can be saved. Do Win you must

A) destroy artifact - and non hostile aliens will be your enemy.
To win after that u must destroy one mothership (that is only remaining base of non-hostile aliens) <--- NORMAL ENDING

B) Get control over certain "keys" (sfinks, great wall, ancient atlantis remains, mystical artifacts - exmpl: Thor(Vikings god) hammer and  Hermes(flying msg of zeus ((ancient greece)) boots). Then when u obdain certain number keys (aliens try to get them too)  u can enter underground (mont blanc, mount everest, wherever) and charge into the computer room thats a 2-4 parts mission. Where u may not shoot computer (randomly on ground laying sircles or boxses) but must archive control of computer rooms.
 First two parts would be full of normal aliens (hovernets and cyborgs, grazy atrealians (whatever theyr name was)) , last parts would be full of ancient and powerful self-defence cyborgs (even sectoids maybe).
 <------- GOOD ENDING

 C) Submit with grazy aliens and destroy everything (including earth pp, countryes won't fund u but UR BAD THEN)<--- BAD ENDING
 

Simpler graph of "master computer as artifact":

Artfiact  - Alien mind controling computer.

Artifact Keys <-- needed for good ending (artifacts that humans know as items of gods)

-----PLOTS----

1) Good <- u take control of master computer, control the keys on earth and disable the mind control adn live peacfully (til next game)with aliens

2)Normal <- U destroy artifact (non-controled aliens will go in rage, controlled ones die or attack everything on earth and die then). Do win u need to destroy aliens last hideout (theyr mothership)

3) Bad <-- u join with mind controlled aliens, your mens go under computer controll, u have to destroy or kill as many humans as possible (conquring missile silos, finding keys (and protect them from non controlled aliens and countryes attacks and attacking citys) until countryes submit with u

4) Worst <--- U fail to do anything, your base is destroyed, countryes subit with hostle aliens.

Enemys:

  Alien (mind controlled) <--- Blood needing aliens, need to save Mastercomputer from evil invaders(humans), They attack and explore randomly won't work together). Live everywhere on every (even small ships, think only on freeing computer and killing its enemys (you and friendly aliens)

  Alien (free from control) <--- not under control, they try to free theyr  mates from mind control. Live in a big mothership.

  Humans <---- BAD ENDING u submit with mind controlled aliens and start killing countryes capitals and citys. Live on earth.
 
  Computer self-defence units <--- Good and normal ending. They are cyborgs (robats that are strong) and remanats of old and weak alien empires (sectoids, floaters)

WHY???

-----Why  won't aliens nuke earth----
Unfriendly aliens need to protect mother computer and friendly aliens try to save theyr mates.

---Why artifact hasen't been destroyed---
As it is very hard to destroy(it can be destroyed only from inside)

---Why it hasn't been found?---
Its hard to find and it can't be opened w.o. special keys that humans know as items of gods (thor hammer, zeus crown, devils horn ...)

---Who left/built it? Why? ---
Aliens, it had to be ultra secure info progressing machine that allowes brain to survive longer, also procress emutions and remove most hostility.

--- Why aliens attack citys---

Humans are threat to mind controlled aliens as humans might find a way how do destroy super comp. And they have incridible need for killing

--Why they kidnap us and explore our lands---

They(friendly aliens) try located keys and computer loaction and disabel it (not destroy it). But beacose humans and aliens attack them they must find a way to loacate keys fast. (human knows the keys)

---How to humans know about the keys---
Unfortunally humans don't know that until late in the game.They are objects of gods... how to humans know gods??? i have no idea.

--- Why we just can't give computer loaction to aliens (friendly or unfiendly?)



As aliens will continue terrorizing us and friendly aliens will tak e long time to recover keys cuz they don't know earth past or nothing about or gods.

(there still are many typos but i think its enough good...)

One thing i would like to add is: plz stop putting only US everywhere... i understand that most pp are from us, why can't phalanx be a Greater Eropian union or arfica spec unit.. Most likely is that phalanx is a org like WHO (world health organi.) And us can't be only country in world that has/had connections with aliens or some underground organizations ! why do u forget other countryes.......