UFO:AI Technology Ideas

[Silversnow]

Wow... inverse of plasma.

I guess that's the point, but no one even thinks about putting plasma in a bullet to crack on impact, the quantity is simply far too tiny that it would not be worth it compared to the kinetic energy of a solid bullet.
A HEAT anti-tank round actually creates it's own plasma on impact, it's a shaped charge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEAT

Perhaps the BEST way to shoot liquid nitrogen at an alien would be more like a flame thrower... just spray the bugger.
Requires a large refrigerated (and vulnerable) reservoir though, and the not so great rang would probably limit it's tactical usefulness to indoors.

[DiDiT]

Perhaps the BEST way to shoot liquid nitrogen at an alien would be more like a flame thrower...

You mean like... The legendary Ice-thrower! 

*cough*

But, Yeah, that could work quite well actually. Maybe, like, a liquid nitrogen canister? All you'd have to do is just give it a lower ammo count than the flamers C-80 canisters and mention in the ufopedia article that all the flamers are being upgraded to be able to use these canisters, and possibly more in the future.

[Prinegon]

Another new tech: Blur amour

Requirements: Obduction of at least one alien and 3 differnt kinds of aliens held alife.

Instead of just realizing the aliens to have better technologies and trying hard to overtake every single recovered tech they have so we could reduce their advantage over us, we will have the opportunity to take advantage over one of the aliens physical restrictions.

It is known that light consists of different colors. Another way to describe light is it consits of rays of different wave lengths. Rod and Cone cells react to light of different wave lengths and the percept of a color is created in the brain. Vision is, however, suspectable for optical illusions. It is, e.g. possible to see two rays with different wave lengths as the same color.

While human opticals both react to the same lights bandwith, between 380 and 780 nanometers wave length, this is not the case for the discovered aliens. Their opticals react to different bandwiths each. The reason for this behavior is not known for us, perhaps it is adaption to their natural environment, perhaps animal or plant life of their home world emmit information like poisioness warnings when emitting a different pattern in different wave lengths or it is a flashing protection, leaving one (or in some cases some) eye(s) still functional, while the other is blinded by flash. But this is room to speculation.

It is for sure, we now are able to use this fact to create an optical illusion protecting our soildiers: The blur amour. This amour is laquered with a special laque that has a prismatic effect on light. We are now able to break up light rays in a special way and reflect them in different angles, so that alien species have the optical illusion, the person wearing this amour stands on different positions at once. The research of this piece of amour wasn't as simple, since we can't determine exactly, what one alien is seeing, but we believe, we were able to create a second image of the person standing in a slightly different position. The effect however, varies from person to person and also from enviromental light. It works best in bright daylight and worse in moonlight. Within rooms still an effect will be seen, but since artifical light is much directed and reduced in bandwith, the effect will not be great. But hell, a shot in the shoulder instead of the heart is still a win.

While all alien life forms orientating through infra red (like bloodspiders) can't be fooled by this technology, especially species with compound eyes (if ever integrated into this game) will freak out totally.

This piece of amour is not perfect, however. It doesn't work well in night missions and not at all against specific kinds of aliens. It also is not changing the position of a soldiers face (since the face normally is unamoured), so the more inteligent races may be fooled by this equipment with their reaction shots and still be able to aim proper with their normal shots. Please also take note this amour is not fooling any human supporter, since their eyes don't react to unsimilar bandwith of wave length. The only effect this piece of amour has to them is glistering in the sun.

[Hertzila]

*words*

Why something so complex, relatively ineffective and hard to make when we can just craft us a stealth camouflage?

Besides, we have already invented a method for invisibility: it's called "get down" and works when the user is wearing military camouflage. [/joke]

But, Yeah, that could work quite well actually. Maybe, like, a liquid nitrogen canister? All you'd have to do is just give it a lower ammo count than the flamers C-80 canisters and mention in the ufopedia article that all the flamers are being upgraded to be able to use these canisters, and possibly more in the future.

There's still the problem that the nitrogen would have to stay cold, so unless those nitrogen canisters also have a refrigation system they could/would explode or simply not work (your flamer would release the indimitating sound of gas leak  ).

[Prinegon]

I am aware that stealth camouflage using mirrors only works if these mirrors actually exist. This would require the spectator looking from a specific angle and also movement would be a problem. There is also the possibility to project a picture from the back of a person on a led display of the front amor (as long as it is undamaged, dead pixel (like shooting holes) just are bad for this illusion). This is also dependent from the angle you look at this picture. Movement, however, would be possible (but may require the camera to move as well). But since the projection only consists of very directed lights in a reduced bandwith, this illusion may totally be visible to opticals that function a different way than human eyes.

The get down with military carmouflage method works quite fine, if the environment holds cover and if the lights are bad. With enough cover this still might work fine in bright light. But, however, tarning is only one way one could think of becoming invisible.

Why the effort?
Two answers: First I like the idea humanity is able to take advantage above physical restrictions the aliens may have. It is much cooler (and more satisfying) to have a technology developed on the weakness of your opponent instead only adopting the strenghts of the opponents. (e.g. the defeat of the dansk Johann the first didn't stay in memory because of two troops fighting on a big battlefield but because of some peasants taking advantage of the dansk army being heavily amoured and opening the dykes leaving the dansk army to drown).
The second answer is: It is a new kind of technology. The more varity this game has in technological advances, the more interesting. And this is a kind of technology that could be pseudo explained by me. Even if this tech doesn't go in final, it may inspire others to come up with their ideas and enrich the tech tree of this game. As it was mentioned in the tech branch discussion it is hard enough to come up with enough reasonable futuristic technologies even without splitting them into different branches. So I thought, one would be glad if I could ad some reasonable tech to it.

I do not have the luxus to say: Well, I like the freezing effect or I like blur, so the explanation will be a spell (like a fantastic setting would do). But I can make my mind make imagine ways how this effects could be explained (although the explanation is not neccessary correct it only needs to be believable). And, the hack, I just like the 3d effect one could see with filtering glasses in the cinema. So i totally believe aliens will die more happily if their filter eyes were tricked by exactly this effect in combat *muhaha*

[DiDiT]

There's still the problem that the nitrogen would have to stay cold, so unless those nitrogen canisters also have a refrigeration system they could/would explode or simply not work (your flamer would release the indimitating sound of gas leak  ).

Hmm I better research this...

I have seen a few mega-over-clocked computers that had liquid nitrogen canisters as coolant, they looked pretty easy to carry and we're small and were pressurised. wouldn't that work? I mean, you could say that the main Liquid nitrogen cooler is on the drop-ship and they use it to fill 'temporary' temperature preserving pressurised flamer canisters that would last throughout the fight. that work?


     

[Hertzila]

*more words*

I guess it's a difference of tastes and preference. I'd like a lot more to have a full-blown invisibility uniform instead of an illusion suit. Plus, invisibility unifroms are more high-tech while still just as possible.

I have seen a few mega-over-clocked computers that had liquid nitrogen canisters as coolant, they looked pretty easy to carry and we're small and were pressurised. wouldn't that work? I mean, you could say that the main Liquid nitrogen cooler is on the drop-ship and they use it to fill 'temporary' temperature preserving pressurised flamer canisters that would last throughout the fight. that work?      

That might actually work. It would reduce the canisters need to keep cool immensely. Then you'd only have to make the flamer support it and you'll be all set.

[homunculus]

i am sorry i think this liquid nitrogen idea is not extremely convincing.

i did not enjoy reading the lengthy texts about this idea too much, sorry again, so maybe i missed a description about it's real life use to cool down armor.

but, liquid nitrogen is often used in some labs and... it is dangerous if it gets into your shoes or boots, then you could indeed get some serious frostburns.

maybe if it was mixed with something more sticky then it could cool something.

vodka with a drop of liquid nitrogen on top is a nice cool drink, btw.

talking about sticky goo, have you seen "who am i" where it looks like fun (i know, we already have stun rod that is a more exciting way of catching aliens).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3vZpIViEw4&feature=PlayList&p=BF95F62519955BBB&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=42
you can see some nets and some white sticky thing at about 5:35.

[TheTank]

Not only tech ideas:

* EMP-Grenade -> destroys electrical components (but not bio weapons)
* Mech 'suit' (think Alien and Matrix films)
*variations on current weapons
 f.i. stronger but heavier rifles
* moddable weapons
  sights, scopes, bi-/tripods, flashlights, etc.
* shields
* riot guns (to stun people and aliens)
* intercoms
* fire-support (2+ troopers in a proximity of each other firing on the same target get a bonus)

What I would also like to see is the Aliens acting more logical.
When they land they might not expect resistance but after you fire at the first, I'd expect them to spring into action and not just wonder around aimlessly.
Currently they walk around like they do not know how to use the advanced tech they probably have. i.e. intercoms
They would probably also try to escape.

If I might even go further and go a little crazy, why not start the game with Roswell?
So you start off in the 1947 and then advance through all the tech and what not.
It would also stretch out the story line a little.
Might be perfect for tutorials. i.e. tutorial 1 1947's crash at Roswell. 1957's better weapons and an aliens start kidnapping people ..., 1967 ...

[geever]

Currently they walk around like they do not know how to use the advanced tech they probably have. i.e. intercoms

LoL! Do you think Aliens need intercoms?? They have hive mind!
Anyway this is just another list of dreams, I see no new usable idea in them, sorry...

-geever

[TheTank]

Ok, true that. I forget (yes, I am so old I played the original Ufos )
Still, I would think that when one of them gets attacked or even killed, they would become more hostile and regroup.

I'm just throwing some thoughts and ideas out there.

To be honest, I was just thinking about tech we either have now or might have in the short future and the tactics being used.
Though it is never good to implement current or possible future tech into games because often enough real life progresses a lot faster and comes up with stuff quicker then you could image.
I remember a similar discussion about BattleTech and how, against todays weapons, a BattleMech would not last very long.

Though pls no computer virii to cause the mothership to explode. kthx!

I'd also think that much of what we have, the aliens would have discovered long ago and would also have a large arsenal.
f.i. if we have shields, they might use telekinesis.
if they can control minds, why not use the civilians against the troops? And put a plasma bomb in their hands. 'LargeHeadedStrangeLookingFellow is great!' *boom*

Heck, they kidnapped so many of us, they should know how to best control and kill us.

@Rest of list
no problemo!

Thanks for reading!

[TrashMan]

Hmm....ghillie suits. That would be awesome.

We would need more grass on maps, so you ca hide better

[DiDiT]

Hmm...

against todays weapons, a BattleMech would not last very long.

But, Then again, it would still be able to do sizeable damage in a battle and, so long as it had some sort of Plated Reactive armour, it would turn the tide of any fire-fight so long as no anti-armour weapons come into play.



ALSO, on a unrelated note, just Crazy idea, but... what about Incendiary flechette-based shotgun rounds? 

and what about micro-neutron grenades?  neutron bombs can easily cook enemy's in a burst of high energy radiation, but the radiation has a very short life, dies away quickly, and doesn't physically damage its surrounding, useful for killing a target but leaving equipment intact.
 

[Prinegon]

I see this topic as general brainstorming for Ideas, tha could possibly com into game. As long as developers get inspired about the different kind of techs, there is no actual need one of theese ides find their way into the game (althoug I'd love to see some).

A new Idea: Anti-plasmatic shield

This piece of amor mainly consist of a kind a bunch of chambers storing a chemical liquid (or gas) each containing of plasma sensors on the surface. At the moment of an plasma impact the sensor will cause the hitted chamber to explode (like the airbag.tech) and atomize its liquids into the air-plasma micture. The mixture of these both gasses causes a endotherm reaction to happen, binding the ionised hydrogen into a rubbish-PU-Foamlike substate and also lowering the temperature of the incoming plasma. The energy of the plasma is even more reduced, since this foam normally melts, also using up energy of the plasma beam. (i don't know what chemical liquid could be believed to do a exothermal reaction to plasma, but there possibly is one). However, since the amor is "bombed in pieces" by usage even few shots may destroy the anti-plasmic shield. The damage to the amour is not dependet on the weapon type. A Plasma pistol will as well bring one of this chambers to explode than would a heavy plasma. It is a nice addition against plasma weapons, but helps against no other weapon. So you probably wouldnÄt like to carry arround the extra weight, as long as you don't face plasmas. Although it would be technical possible to resist a heavy plasma with nearly no ammount of damage, the extra weight of the liquid required would overcome the benefit. 

[Legendman3]

ATV's thats my two cents now wheres my doughnut......