Alien Missions (TFTD)

Alien Probe Mission

The Alien Probe Mission is used for correlating data about the seabed, the resources, shipping and aeroplane flight paths of an area. The Alien subs involved in these missions are not a major threat in themselves, but they indicate sites of activity that may flare at any time.

Sub	Type		Lands?	Time
1	Survey Ship	No	150h? (2.5h exactly for first month)
2	Escort		x1	150h
3	Cruiser		x2	130h
4	Cruiser		x2	150h

Alien Interdiction

The Aliens have a policy of policing areas they are interested in, sending out craft with the express purpose of securing an area before more intensive missions are begun. They will land at specific sites they intend to raid later to lock down the areas and prepare the way for the next level of activity.

Sub	Type		Lands?	Time
1	Survey Ship	No	??
2	Survey Ship	x1	130h
3	Escort		x1	130h
4	Cruiser		No	100h
5	Cruiser		x1	130h
6	Heavy Cruiser	x2	150h
7	Heavy Cruiser	x2	50h
8	Dreadnought	x1	12.5h

Alien Resource Raid

The sinking of ships and the downing of aircraft are key elements of the Alien strategy. The acquisition of materials is one of the prime Alien activities and as such is allied to these overtly aggressive acts. The Aliens also raid areas of geo-thermal activity, mining sites and sites of antiquity for minerals and refined metals and other human produced items.

Sub	Type		Lands?	Time
1	Survey Ship	No	??
2	Escort		x2	250h
3	Cruiser		x1	300h
4	Hunter		x1	150h
5	Hunter		x2	150h
6	Hunter		x2	1h

Alien Infiltration

This can result in official contact between Aliens and corporations or governments at the highest level. The climax of this activity is characterised by intense Alien Sub activity in the waters of the organisation concerned. The Aliens will attempt to sign an agreement with a government or organisation by offering knowledge of their superior technologies. This Alien activity represents a major threat to X-COM. If a corporation or government co-operates with the invaders then its funding ceases.

Sub	Type			Lands?	Time
1	Survey Ship		?	??
2	Escort			?	275h
3	Escort			?	250h
4	Cruiser			?	230h
5	Cruiser			?	150h
6	Battleship		?	1h
7	Fleet Supply Cruiser	?	1h
8	Dreadnought		?	1h
9	Dreadnought		?	1h

Alien Colony Expansion

These colonies are known to contain labs, cloning centres, surgical facilities for human and Alien experimentation. The presence of Alien colonies will generate more Alien activity without the presence of Alien Subs. In order to locate a colony an X-COM sub must patrol an area for a few hours to stand some chance of successful detection.

Sub	Type			Lands?	Time
1	Survey Ship		x2	??
2	Escort			x2	150h
3	Cruiser			x2	250h
4	Fleet Supply Cruiser	x2	1h
5	Fleet Supply Cruiser	x2	1h
6	Dreadnought		x1	1h

Alien Surface Attacks

When the Aliens need humans they terrorise a port, attack an island, or raid a ship. Civilians will be directly threatened, to fulfil the perverse breeding needs of the Aliens and their hideous experiments.

Sub	Type		Lands?	Time
1	Escort		x2	2.5h exactly
2	Cruiser		x2	250h
3	Battleship	No	160h
4	Battleship	x1*	200h (produces a Port Attack or Island Attack site when it lands)

Floating Base Attack

If X-COM intercept subs are being particularly successful in sinking Alien craft then the Aliens may take some aggressive retaliatory action. This could result in a direct attack against an X-COM facility. However, the Aliens have to find an X-Com base in order to attack it, and provided Alien Subs are kept away then there should be little danger of an assault.

Sub	Type		Lands?	Time
(Search phase, will terminate prematurely if base is found)
1	Survey Ship	No	?? (2.5h exactly if scheduled)
2	Escort		No	50h
3	Escort		No	50h
4	Cruiser		No	50h
5	Cruiser		No	50h
6	Cruiser		No	50h (may not appear)
7	Dreadnought	No	50h
8	Dreadnought	No	50h
(Assault phase)
1	Dreadnought	x1*	?? (produces a Base Defence mission when it lands)

Colony Supply Missions

Once an Alien colony is constructed then it is re-supplied on a regular basis by a special supply ship. If one of these vessels is detected while touching down then it is certain that an Alien colony is nearby.

Sub	Type			Lands?	Time
1	Fleet Supply Cruiser	x1	0.5h exactly, may occur on any day

See Also

Alien Life Forms
Alien Subs