Gorman the Idiot

[Private Hudson]

Ripley: How many Drops is this for you Luetenant?
Gorman: 37..simulated.
Vasquez: How many combat drops?
Gorman: 2.. including this one.

Also, he wasn't very prepared for it, or didn't know what he was getting into.

[happypred]

I think Gorman should have pulled his men out the moment Ripley told him they were under a fusion reactor.

You just unknowingly sent all your men into a situation in which they can't fire their guns, why risk everything? Because if he pulled them out he would've looked even more incompetent?

As for flamethrowers, there is a setting to make the stream of flame go out straight and then hook to either side. In an indoor situation, that might be useful in passageways that make abrupt turns...you don't want to go blundering into whatever's waiting for you around the corner. I'm not sure if this setting is actually real because it mentioned in the Colonial Marine Manual

[Private Hudson]

Yeah, he should have pulled them out the moment he found out they were under a fusion reacter.

[Major Alan Schaefer]

I always thought he was almost too bad...the company could have chosen him because they wanted them to fail

[Private Hudson]

Yeah, but Burke seemed almost as suprised as Ripley was at how Idiotic, and unexperienced Gorman was.

[happypred]

Yeah, but Burke seemed almost as suprised as Ripley was at how Idiotic, and unexperienced Gorman was.

Yeah Burke wasn't faking his exasperation when Gorman said "So what [if they're under a fusion reactor]?"

[Private Hudson]

Exactly my point.

[Aeus]

Gorman wasn't the best of leaders. Couldn't keep his wits about him.

[Private Hudson]

Agreed, he was always asking for advice, and was a bit shaky all throughout the movie.

[Aeus]

Agreed, he was always asking for advice, and was a bit shaky all throughout the movie.

Sweating like a pig as well.

[Dark Passenger]

I woulda been to, going against a bunch of aliens.....no way,
and they never believed ripley so they just were going to check on the colonists.....if it was just that he would led them better.....haha even hudson was losing it....

[maledoro]

As for flamethrowers, there is a setting to make the stream of flame go out straight and then hook to either side. In an indoor situation, that might be useful in passageways that make abrupt turns...you don't want to go blundering into whatever's waiting for you around the corner.

That as may be, but there isn't a setting anywhere that prevents the flame and heat from sucking the oxygen toward it. Sure, you can shoot a stream of fire down a passageway, but it would still burn up the oxygen in the space around you and could suffocate you.

I'm not sure if this setting is actually real because it mentioned in the Colonial Marine Manual

A real handy book that tells everything about weapons, ships and other hardware that have no place in reality. It's a great read for sci-fi, but don't consult it for your next physics exam.

[gameoverman]

I don't think Gorman made the wrong decisions - he went more by the book.   He actually ordered the marines to retreat.  Ripley drove the APC into the hive, risking everybody.  If an alien got into the APC they would be dead meat. 

I think he didn't know much about the mission - he seemed ill-informed about stuff especially the fusion reactor.  Hed died like a hero, anyway.

[I am Mother]

I don't think Gorman made the wrong decisions - he went more by the book.   He actually ordered the marines to retreat.  Ripley drove the APC into the hive, risking everybody.  If an alien got into the APC they would be dead meat. 

I think he didn't know much about the mission - he seemed ill-informed about stuff especially the fusion reactor.  Hed died like a hero, anyway.

^ I agree, at least he had the nuts to go down like he did. Can't call him a pussy for that.

[Xenomorphine]

He had confidence in them. They just didn't have confidence in him.

It was a character who typified the sort of guy who does tend to get put in that position. Someone who's simulated everything, rose up through the ranks by carrying out textbook actions, with very little clue on how reality can impede on such circumstances.

Was probably trained for every eventuality except for the team going in there, more or less weaponless, plus communications being severely disrupted.

If they were going up against human opponents and communications were no issue, they could have been fine. Especially with individuals such as Apone and Hicks leading on a tactical level.