AAR: Of Men and Martians

Egan · 12-31-11, 02:06 PM

Ace. I might have to track this game down, buggy or not. It remains one of my favourite novels to this day.

Which reminds me, I haven't read it in a year or two. I must rectify that when I get back to my library in a few days.

I might have to get the cd of the Jeff Wayne show. I had it on vinyl when I was a nipper.

Oberon · 12-31-11, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Egan

Ace. I might have to track this game down, buggy or not. It remains one of my favourite novels to this day.

Which reminds me, I haven't read it in a year or two. I must rectify that when I get back to my library in a few days.

I might have to get the cd of the Jeff Wayne show. I had it on vinyl when I was a nipper.

It's all good stuff, and the book is one of my favourites too, has been since the first time I read it when I was eleven. Still have that copy in fact, somewhere in the atomic testing grounds that is my bedroom.
The Jeff Wayne musical is a classic, which makes me concerned when they announced that they're remaking it and replacing Richard Burton with Liam Neeson. I wish they'd stop faffing around and just make the bloody film we've been promised for the past seven years instead of trying to fix something that just isn't broken in any shape or form.

Anyway, rant off...time to see what November 1898 will throw at me. I'm wondering if the reason why the Martians are taking so long to come south is because they're still trying to subdue the Jockanese...

Raptor1 · 12-31-11, 03:02 PM

They're remaking the Jeff Wayne album? Seems rather pointless to me. Has there actually been any news on the movie in the last several years?

Oh, and I've finished dozens of novels since making my last comment on this thread two years ago, and The War of the Worlds has not been one of them. So, I really really have to get around to finishing it...

Oberon · 12-31-11, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raptor1

They're remaking the Jeff Wayne album? Seems rather pointless to me. Has there actually been any news on the movie in the last several years?

Oh, and I've finished dozens of novels since making my last comment on this thread two years ago, and The War of the Worlds has not been one of them. So, I really really have to get around to finishing it...

There's been various rumours about the film but nothing solid sadly, and I agree on the pointlessness of the remake, and thoroughly agree on finishing the novel. How far in have you got?

Raptor1 · 12-31-11, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

There's been various rumours about the film but nothing solid sadly, and I agree on the pointlessness of the remake, and thoroughly agree on finishing the novel. How far in have you got?

I think I was about 30-50 pages from finishing it. I should probably just read it through from the beginning anyway.

These Martians are sure taking their time with the whole attacking business...

Tarrasque · 01-02-12, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

There's been various rumours about the film but nothing solid sadly, and I agree on the pointlessness of the remake, and thoroughly agree on finishing the novel. How far in have you got?

Hopefully the remake isn't too bad, as I'm due to see the Arena version at the O2 at the end of the year.

Oberon · 01-04-12, 04:12 PM

Build up

11th April 1899 - 15th July 1899

The month starts quiet and continues in that vein. Punch is currently running a cartoon that indicates that the Martians grand strategy is to wait until our frontline units die of old age. At this moment in time I am inclined to agree with them.
More industries are built and a Construction Vehicle is diagnosed with Fighting Machine Syndrome. Now, a little word on this disease...it was first diagnosed in a Martian Fighting Machine in this game several years ago, the symptoms are a random desire to walk or drive around in circles on the spot. The cause of the disease is said by physicians to be due to the terrible path-finding coded into the game.

The disease can be transmitted and has been found in other games:

Once diagnosed the disease can be resolved by kicking the offending unit until it goes somewhere else or resetting the map.

Meanwhile on the 30th April, HMS Bulwark is launched from Portsmouth and heads out to Whitby to support the defences there, hopefully without exploding. More Armoured Track Layers have been built and sent to the frontline.

Here is the view of the front at the end of April:

HMS Venerable is launched two days later and heads up the other coast to the Lake District.

As May draws to a close plans are drawn up to take the war to the Martians, since they seem so unwilling to bring it to us. The targets are Newcastle and Northumberland:

Newcastle will be taken first for its oil resources, and then Northumberland will be taken next because it has been researched by our scientists that there is a significant amount of resources available to the Martians in Northumberland, Copper, Blood and Heavy Metals are what they need and Northumberland is apparently the best place for them.
Of course, once we have attacked the Martians will begin their counterattacks, which means we'll need to keep a small force in Whitby to repel any attack from Northumberland. One of our Ironclads and some Armoured Cars should do the trick. As for our attacking force, our armoured track layers, ironclads, armoured cars and the soon to be put into service Self-Propelled Gun unit should provide enough firepower to overwhelm any defences.

The date for the attack is tentatively set for July. HMS London is dispatched to join Irresistable, Implacable and Bulwark, London will be the rearguard, keeping station off Whitby whilst her other three sister ships support the offensive in Newcastle. As I pull forces out from the Lake District and the Pennines to prepare for the offensive in Whitby, I must confess I experience a few moments of concern...are there enough units left in those two sectors to defend against a determined Martian offensive? Are they waiting for me to launch an offensive so that they can counterattack on the other side of the coast where I'm weaker. Should I wait until I have more Self-Propelled Guns? All questions that run through my mind as the days tick down towards July.

In early June I give orders for a new Sappers Lorry to be built, it and a Construction Vehicle will ride with the offensive but stay near the retreat point. If the offensive is successful then the construction vehicle will immediately begin work on a Command Center.

On the 25th June research into Shipyard level 2 is completed, and orders to research the Warrior class Ironclad are given. Meanwhile HMS London is taking her own time, just rounding East Anglia...the offensive may have to be delayed slightly whilst she gets into position. Don't want the Martians attacking from Northumberland before she gets there to help defend Whitby.

Finally on the 14th July HMS London arrives on station off Whitby, quite the force is gathered there waiting for the off. Two new Ironclads, HMS Queen and HMS Prince of Wales are built in Liverpool and Portsmouth and head out to the Lake District and Whitby respectively.

On the 15th July, the orders are given. Operation Byker is go. The units will arrive in Newcastle at 9am on the 17th July 1899. The day we take the fight to the Martians...

Oberon · 01-04-12, 04:45 PM

Operation Byker

19th July 1899

Here goes...

HMS Irresistable, Implacable and Bulwark begin the offensive by moving into position on the coast. Note the red colour of the ground, the red weed is gaining a foothold here...but hopefully not for long! The strange building on the left is a Martian facility, IIRC it is either a Copper processing plant or a Heavy Mineral processing plant. Either way once the Command Center for this sector goes down, all Martian buildings go with it.

"MARTIANS SPOTTED, SIR!!"

Our first view of the enemy, three Scouting machines appear over the rooftops of Newcastle and stride towards our Ironclads. All three open up at once on them and our ground forces vector in to make their own offensive.

"We are under fire, sir!"

The three Ironclads pour heavy fire on the Scouting machines but one gets close enough to open fire. HMS Implacable is her target.

Meanwhile, our ground forces have found the command center, and the fighting machines guarding it...

Our Self-propelled guns show their mettle as they pour fire onto the Fighting Machines, meanwhile a Handling Machine sits next to the Command Center.

Surely there are more Martians defending this sector than this?

"Martian Unit Destroyed!"

The Ironclads make short work of the Scout Machines, and minutes later the Fighting Machines go the same way. HMS Implacable is on fire but repairable. She'll live. Casualties appear to be quite light...but then again so is the resistance...the main bulk of their forces must be elsewhere...Northumberland I'd wager...the counterattack could be big.

"We cannot move across this terrain, sir!"

After a few minutes of painful pointing and clicking, the Ironclads give up trying to beach themselves (which is entirely possible, I did witness one do so whilst playing as the Martians, and it destroyed itself), I finally manage to persuade the ground units to advance and attack the Handling machine. The Martian handling machine is akin to our Construction Vehicle, losing one will damage their efforts and anything that damages the Martians is a bonus for me.

"Martian base destroyed, sir!"

After the Handling machine is destroyed it's a simple matter to turn all that firepower onto the Command Center. It falls quickly. Now it's a case of making all the units head for the coast where our Command Center will be built, under the protection of the guns of the Ironclads.

So, that's seven Martian machines (Three scout machines, three Fighting Machines and one Handling machine) destroyed for the loss of three human machines (One Armoured Lorry and two Armoured Track Layers). Damn good odds I'd say. I think this calls for a drink, eh? Nothing but champagne now I'm the boss!
So, Operation Byker is an astounding success...a little too astounding...why was Newcastle so lightly defended? Am I overestimating the Martians power, or are they, even now, sending a counterattack to retake Newcastle...my forces there are damaged, will they survive such a counterattack?

First blood to us...we have won the first battle...but the war is not over yet...

Oberon · 12-31-11, 05:21 PM

Sitzkrieg
15th November 1898 - 11th April 1898

Another year rolls around and still no activity from the north. The Martians have full territorial control of Scotland and the borders now, however we have a number of Armoured Cars and heavy defences along the frontline.

Whitby is still the weak link in the chain, but with HMS Irresistable sitting offshore it should hopefully hold...I might transfer another Armoured Car across.
I'm building more sappers lorries to start construction on a second line of defence in the sector behind the frontline, if I have to fall back in a hurry I don't want to have to rely on the good grace of the Martians not to attack whilst the way to London is protected solely by this:

Meanwhile the sappers on the frontline have some more artillery to site, our new 9.2 inch guns. It'll take just over thirteen days to build them, once they've got through the backlog of other artillery pieces that they're already building.
Research on the Armoured Track Layer is completed on the 16th January, and when the factory in the Pennines has finished its latest Armoured Car (in about eighteen days) it will start work on its first Armoured Track Layer.
New research is begun into Munitions Factories which will enable us to build one of the most useful and awesome units in the game (other than the Ironclad) and that's the Self-Propelled Gun. That thing is a beast and will be an essential part of our eventual offensive to retake Scotland.
The rest of January is spent building more mines and refineries, and the second line of defence. Still not a peep from across the border.
I've heard that the Martians sometimes refrain from attacking if the human forces outnumber them in firepower by a certain ratio...perhaps the Martians are weaker than I thought?

HMS Implacable heads out from Portsmouth on the 20th Feburary 1899, the wooden decking still smelling of varnish, her crew untested, she sets sail up the Channel and out to the North Sea to join HMS Irresistible off the coast of Whitby.
HMS London leaves Liverpool docks for the coast of the Lake District a few hours later.

Research into the Munitions Factory was completed on the 5th March and research into the Self-Propelled Gun begun. A Construction vehicle is dispatched to Northampton to construct a Munitions Factory.

The Mark One Armoured Track Layer waiting for action at Whitby, another unit is heading for the Pennines and another is under construction.

The Self-Propelled Gun finishes its research in March, and I forget to assign a new research project until early April

Shipyard level two it is! This will enable me to research and then build the next level of Ironclad, which is if I remember correctly, is the Warrior class.

Still nothing from the north...they're planning something...those little octopi...

I'm wondering what tech tree path they're going to go down. They usually go down either one of two, either they focus on getting to level two equipment or they branch out into specialist equipment (such as the Flying Machine). The Gen II Fighting Machine is annoying little sod because it has a Black Smoke launcher and I have no real defences against that until I first encounter it, but then again if they go down the specialist equipment route then I run into Tempests which have two heavy Heat Rays and a Black Smoke Canister launcher and are quite well armoured.
Time will tell...

12-31-11, 03:02 PM	#3
Raptor1 Navy Seal Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Stavka Posts: 8,211 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	They're remaking the Jeff Wayne album? Seems rather pointless to me. Has there actually been any news on the movie in the last several years? Oh, and I've finished dozens of novels since making my last comment on this thread two years ago, and The War of the Worlds has not been one of them. So, I really really have to get around to finishing it... __________________ Current Eastern Front status: Probable Victory

12-31-11, 02:06 PM	#1
Egan Admiral Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 2,020 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	Ace. I might have to track this game down, buggy or not. It remains one of my favourite novels to this day. Which reminds me, I haven't read it in a year or two. I must rectify that when I get back to my library in a few days. I might have to get the cd of the Jeff Wayne show. I had it on vinyl when I was a nipper.

01-04-12, 04:12 PM	#7
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	Build up 11th April 1899 - 15th July 1899 The month starts quiet and continues in that vein. Punch is currently running a cartoon that indicates that the Martians grand strategy is to wait until our frontline units die of old age. At this moment in time I am inclined to agree with them. More industries are built and a Construction Vehicle is diagnosed with Fighting Machine Syndrome. Now, a little word on this disease...it was first diagnosed in a Martian Fighting Machine in this game several years ago, the symptoms are a random desire to walk or drive around in circles on the spot. The cause of the disease is said by physicians to be due to the terrible path-finding coded into the game. The disease can be transmitted and has been found in other games: Once diagnosed the disease can be resolved by kicking the offending unit until it goes somewhere else or resetting the map. Meanwhile on the 30th April, HMS Bulwark is launched from Portsmouth and heads out to Whitby to support the defences there, hopefully without exploding. More Armoured Track Layers have been built and sent to the frontline. Here is the view of the front at the end of April: HMS Venerable is launched two days later and heads up the other coast to the Lake District. As May draws to a close plans are drawn up to take the war to the Martians, since they seem so unwilling to bring it to us. The targets are Newcastle and Northumberland: Newcastle will be taken first for its oil resources, and then Northumberland will be taken next because it has been researched by our scientists that there is a significant amount of resources available to the Martians in Northumberland, Copper, Blood and Heavy Metals are what they need and Northumberland is apparently the best place for them. Of course, once we have attacked the Martians will begin their counterattacks, which means we'll need to keep a small force in Whitby to repel any attack from Northumberland. One of our Ironclads and some Armoured Cars should do the trick. As for our attacking force, our armoured track layers, ironclads, armoured cars and the soon to be put into service Self-Propelled Gun unit should provide enough firepower to overwhelm any defences. The date for the attack is tentatively set for July. HMS London is dispatched to join Irresistable, Implacable and Bulwark, London will be the rearguard, keeping station off Whitby whilst her other three sister ships support the offensive in Newcastle. As I pull forces out from the Lake District and the Pennines to prepare for the offensive in Whitby, I must confess I experience a few moments of concern...are there enough units left in those two sectors to defend against a determined Martian offensive? Are they waiting for me to launch an offensive so that they can counterattack on the other side of the coast where I'm weaker. Should I wait until I have more Self-Propelled Guns? All questions that run through my mind as the days tick down towards July. In early June I give orders for a new Sappers Lorry to be built, it and a Construction Vehicle will ride with the offensive but stay near the retreat point. If the offensive is successful then the construction vehicle will immediately begin work on a Command Center. On the 25th June research into Shipyard level 2 is completed, and orders to research the Warrior class Ironclad are given. Meanwhile HMS London is taking her own time, just rounding East Anglia...the offensive may have to be delayed slightly whilst she gets into position. Don't want the Martians attacking from Northumberland before she gets there to help defend Whitby. Finally on the 14th July HMS London arrives on station off Whitby, quite the force is gathered there waiting for the off. Two new Ironclads, HMS Queen and HMS Prince of Wales are built in Liverpool and Portsmouth and head out to the Lake District and Whitby respectively. On the 15th July, the orders are given. Operation Byker is go. The units will arrive in Newcastle at 9am on the 17th July 1899. The day we take the fight to the Martians...

01-04-12, 04:45 PM	#8
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	Operation Byker 19th July 1899 Here goes... HMS Irresistable, Implacable and Bulwark begin the offensive by moving into position on the coast. Note the red colour of the ground, the red weed is gaining a foothold here...but hopefully not for long! The strange building on the left is a Martian facility, IIRC it is either a Copper processing plant or a Heavy Mineral processing plant. Either way once the Command Center for this sector goes down, all Martian buildings go with it. *"MARTIANS SPOTTED, SIR!!"* Our first view of the enemy, three Scouting machines appear over the rooftops of Newcastle and stride towards our Ironclads. All three open up at once on them and our ground forces vector in to make their own offensive. *"We are under fire, sir!"* The three Ironclads pour heavy fire on the Scouting machines but one gets close enough to open fire. HMS Implacable is her target. Meanwhile, our ground forces have found the command center, and the fighting machines guarding it... Our Self-propelled guns show their mettle as they pour fire onto the Fighting Machines, meanwhile a Handling Machine sits next to the Command Center. Surely there are more Martians defending this sector than this? "Martian Unit Destroyed!" The Ironclads make short work of the Scout Machines, and minutes later the Fighting Machines go the same way. HMS Implacable is on fire but repairable. She'll live. Casualties appear to be quite light...but then again so is the resistance...the main bulk of their forces must be elsewhere...Northumberland I'd wager...the counterattack could be big. "We cannot move across this terrain, sir!" After a few minutes of painful pointing and clicking, the Ironclads give up trying to beach themselves (which is entirely possible, I did witness one do so whilst playing as the Martians, and it destroyed itself), I finally manage to persuade the ground units to advance and attack the Handling machine. The Martian handling machine is akin to our Construction Vehicle, losing one will damage their efforts and anything that damages the Martians is a bonus for me. "Martian base destroyed, sir!" After the Handling machine is destroyed it's a simple matter to turn all that firepower onto the Command Center. It falls quickly. Now it's a case of making all the units head for the coast where our Command Center will be built, under the protection of the guns of the Ironclads. So, that's seven Martian machines (Three scout machines, three Fighting Machines and one Handling machine) destroyed for the loss of three human machines (One Armoured Lorry and two Armoured Track Layers). Damn good odds I'd say. I think this calls for a drink, eh? Nothing but champagne now I'm the boss! So, Operation Byker is an astounding success...a little too astounding...why was Newcastle so lightly defended? Am I overestimating the Martians power, or are they, even now, sending a counterattack to retake Newcastle...my forces there are damaged, will they survive such a counterattack? First blood to us...we have won the first battle...but the war is not over yet...

12-31-11, 05:21 PM	#9
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	Sitzkrieg 15th November 1898 - 11th April 1898 Another year rolls around and still no activity from the north. The Martians have full territorial control of Scotland and the borders now, however we have a number of Armoured Cars and heavy defences along the frontline. Whitby is still the weak link in the chain, but with HMS Irresistable sitting offshore it should hopefully hold...I might transfer another Armoured Car across. I'm building more sappers lorries to start construction on a second line of defence in the sector behind the frontline, if I have to fall back in a hurry I don't want to have to rely on the good grace of the Martians not to attack whilst the way to London is protected solely by this: Meanwhile the sappers on the frontline have some more artillery to site, our new 9.2 inch guns. It'll take just over thirteen days to build them, once they've got through the backlog of other artillery pieces that they're already building. Research on the Armoured Track Layer is completed on the 16th January, and when the factory in the Pennines has finished its latest Armoured Car (in about eighteen days) it will start work on its first Armoured Track Layer. New research is begun into Munitions Factories which will enable us to build one of the most useful and awesome units in the game (other than the Ironclad) and that's the Self-Propelled Gun. That thing is a beast and will be an essential part of our eventual offensive to retake Scotland. The rest of January is spent building more mines and refineries, and the second line of defence. Still not a peep from across the border. I've heard that the Martians sometimes refrain from attacking if the human forces outnumber them in firepower by a certain ratio...perhaps the Martians are weaker than I thought? HMS Implacable heads out from Portsmouth on the 20th Feburary 1899, the wooden decking still smelling of varnish, her crew untested, she sets sail up the Channel and out to the North Sea to join HMS Irresistible off the coast of Whitby. HMS London leaves Liverpool docks for the coast of the Lake District a few hours later. Research into the Munitions Factory was completed on the 5th March and research into the Self-Propelled Gun begun. A Construction vehicle is dispatched to Northampton to construct a Munitions Factory. The Mark One Armoured Track Layer waiting for action at Whitby, another unit is heading for the Pennines and another is under construction. The Self-Propelled Gun finishes its research in March, and I forget to assign a new research project until early April Shipyard level two it is! This will enable me to research and then build the next level of Ironclad, which is if I remember correctly, is the Warrior class. Still nothing from the north...they're planning something...those little octopi... I'm wondering what tech tree path they're going to go down. They usually go down either one of two, either they focus on getting to level two equipment or they branch out into specialist equipment (such as the Flying Machine). The Gen II Fighting Machine is annoying little sod because it has a Black Smoke launcher and I have no real defences against that until I first encounter it, but then again if they go down the specialist equipment route then I run into Tempests which have two heavy Heat Rays and a Black Smoke Canister launcher and are quite well armoured. Time will tell...