Talk:Cultural Influences on X-COM
UFO
Holy crud!
I used to watch that as a kid, and got into trouble with my mom when I stole all her tin foil to make a cool uniform, then tried to dye my hair purple like the radar operator/receptionist girl.
She didn't mind the foil so much, but the beetroot in my hair didn't go down too well =P
Tifi 15:01, 2 February 2009 (CST)
I'd also like to say thanks for this page - I only saw one episode, but it's definitely part of the X-COM source material! How many episodes were there, and how many involved ground combat? The episode I saw was all about a new mind control attempt, no gunplay. --JellyfishGreen 07:13, 3 April 2009 (EDT)
- You're welcome! In researching this article I watched every episode on DVD. I don't have my reference materials with me but I think there are about 20 episodes. I would say about half involved some kind of ground (or lunar surface) combat. Combat is usually quite limited though, usually just a couple of scenes. Most of the show relies on tension - again, not unlike XCOM. Spike 09:25, 3 April 2009 (EDT)
- Recently picked up the DVD boxset and it say there are 26 episodes. Now to find some time to watch it... -NKF 14:52, 3 April 2009 (EDT)
Supralight (SOL) speed detection and intercept.
In the first episode of UFO it's stated that very special equipment, "Utronic" detection systems, have been developed to track UFOs. So there is a case for why UFOs can be tracked even at superlight speeds.
Interception at high sublight speeds is more difficult but the UFOs are almost always on an approaching course, so it's feasible that the Interceptor rockets are more or less just dropped in the path of the UFOs. Tenuous, but possible. Like a lot of TV shows of this period (and even now), the grasp of physics is pretty weak. Spike 17:28, 15 February 2009 (CST)
Hmm, thinking about this a bit more... the "Utronic" detectors would need to be detecting something that propagated faster than light, and in fact faster than the supralight UFOs, otherwise they would only detect UFOs after they had already attacked - or after they had dropped below light speed, at least. If Utronics detected any emanation that travelled <= 1.0 SOL, emanating from a UFO travelling at 8.0x SOL, then the emanations later in (absolute) time from the attack point where the UFO decelerated below 1.0 SOL, would be detected before the emanations earlier in (absolute) time when the UFO was far away. A decelerating UFO would appear to be traveling away (or, alternatively, backward in time). Oh, don't get me started on relativity...
Therefore Utronic detectors must be some form of tachyon detector, and UFOs must emit (or reflect) some form of tachyons.
Either that or it's all nonsense. ;) Spike 15:53, 16 February 2009 (CST)
For that matter, what effect would nuclear explosions have in the vaccuum of space? The propogation of energy from the explosion would likely be too slow to damage the target? Jasonred
Oh I think nukes in space would work fine. Which is why they were used in the first generation Anti Ballistic Missiles. There should be no problem as long as the target is at sublight speed. Which The gamma ray burst travels at the speed of light. Its intensity falls off as the inverse-square of the distance, so you want to detonate close to the target. Then you get a plasma created by the warhead material, I suppose that might miss a fast moving craft. But, for example, it would definitely be more effective than a chemical explosive. Spike 15:45, 18 February 2009 (CST)
Sudden Impact
Can't remember if this was every mentioned anywhere on the wiki, but I'll mention it here anyway.
Just out of the blue I was looking at the ad sheets for one of my local electronic/dvd/cd shops and looking for some decent bargains, I happened to glance across the cover for Sudden Impact. The cover has a shot of Clint Eastwood pointing a large revolver to the left (if I can deduce the fuzzy image, it's probably a Desert Eagle).
I don't know anything about the movie, but what struck me immediately was that if this movie was made prior to UFO, then this may very well be the inspiration for the Base Defense background image used in UFO (And its variation in TFTD).
-NKF 04:03, 2 April 2009 (EDT)
http://www.blu-rayaanbieding.nl/discs/suddenimpact.jpg
http://www.ufopaedia.org/images/0/09/BACK04SCR.JPG
The resemblance is uncanny.
(What in the heck?! The CAPTCHA is asking me to type in a fraction as a single character?!)
- Bomb Bloke 05:59, 2 April 2009 (EDT)
On closer look, the chap in the X-COM illustration is at a slightly different angle. Still, an uncanny resemblance indeed . -NKF 14:52, 3 April 2009 (EDT)
UFO on UK TV
For anyone who has access to UK free digital TV broadcasts, or on-demand catch up TV, ITV4 have just started broadcasting the entire series again. It might even be possible to watch from other countries via the internet with whatever on-demand client ITV offers (if any). One show per week, repeated once.
Spike 11:16, 3 April 2009 (EDT)
Laser Squad
I'm kind of undecided on whether it belongs on this page. I think it should be mentioned on the wiki, but I'm not sure if it's right to call it a "cultural influence". It's more of a spiritual prequel. Any thoughts on this? --Darkpast (talk) 10:13, 11 July 2014 (EDT)