Dark Horse Announces Aliens: Defiance

[tyrannosaurusjones]

I've kind of gone by "well, we've been using M16's or a variation thereof, as well as AR's and AK's for nearly 60 years" so in an age where we have both amazing tech (Prometheus) and standard tech (Alien) co-existing, Aliens military budgets would likely be somewhere in between, so it wouldn't surprise me if the pulse rifles were "old reliables" in the Alien universe when it comes to Colonial Marine standard issue material... much like how Hicks still has an old fashioned pump action shotgun, yet the security forces in Isolation have those rad assault shotguns. You've also got different incinerators in nearly every film too with Prometheus' ones being surprisingly the most archaic in design!

This is also just two years after Isolation, so if they're still using the suits in Isolation, I figure they're fair game. Zula isn't going into this crusade needing military gear to begin with either. She's almost there in a consultant role, so a non-combat suit made sense. I ALMOST went with the one in the Marine book, but I just like the old compression suits more. That said, I definitely want to use the compression suits you see in the security offices of Isolation (the ones that use the helmets you see at the start of Alien).

And it's highly likely you'll see the heavy Weyland Yutani marine gear from Colonial Marines (love or hate that game, their design work was spot on), and POSSIBLY the containment suits from Alien 3. It's all dependent on what Brian writes. I don't think you'll see anything quite as advanced as the Prometheus gear... at least not in action.

Also, he's actually telling her that if she's not happy with his services, she can log a complaint.

[Corporal Hicks]

I've kind of gone by "well, we've been using M16's or a variation thereof, as well as AR's and AK's for nearly 60 years" so in an age where we have both amazing tech (Prometheus) and standard tech (Alien) co-existing, Aliens military budgets would likely be somewhere in between, so it wouldn't surprise me if the pulse rifles were "old reliables" in the Alien universe when it comes to Colonial Marine standard issue material... much like how Hicks still has an old fashioned pump action shotgun, yet the security forces in Isolation have those rad assault shotguns. You've also got different incinerators in nearly every film too with Prometheus' ones being surprisingly the most archaic in design!

And Alien gives a very used impression so it's not unlikely that there's a lot of using things until they just give up the goose.

Another picture pilfered from Tristan's account...

[tyrannosaurusjones]

"And Alien gives a very used impression so it's not unlikely that there's a lot of using things until they just give up the goose. "

Exactly. Prometheus makes this pretty clear. Look at the robotics for instance. Ash is a highly sophisticated computer system. A lot of what we see in Alien isn't at all. ALIENS goes back and forth between both, and then Alien 3 pretty much tells us all this as well. The computers are slightly better than Alien, but not quite as good as some seen in Aliens.

Really, all it came down to for me was "what did the military use during Vietnam? How much had that changed since WW2 and how much has that changed since?" and going from there, and again, seeing what technology was capable of 30 odd years prior to Alien in Prometheus opens the playing field up pretty wide.

I told Brian the other day I wanted to use the Prometheus med-pod for something we've never seen before...

[HuDaFuK]

Much like how Hicks still has an old fashioned pump action shotgun, yet the security forces in Isolation have those rad assault shotguns.

One of my favourite bits from the novelisation that isn't in the film is how it mentions that shotgun is a family heirloom, handed down by his father and his father before him. Was a neat way to justify having such an anachronistic weapon in the film

[Corporal Hicks]

Really, all it came down to for me was "what did the military use during Vietnam? How much had that changed since WW2 and how much has that changed since?" and going from there, and again, seeing what technology was capable of 30 odd years prior to Alien in Prometheus opens the playing field up pretty wide.

We're still using WW2 based weaponry now - M14, for example. There's a lot of simply building on the platforms. Are you planning on doing any new variations? Like your own other versions of the Pulse Rifle?

I told Brian the other day I wanted to use the Prometheus med-pod for something we've never seen before...

To heal someone being chestbursted!

[tyrannosaurusjones]

Much like how Hicks still has an old fashioned pump action shotgun, yet the security forces in Isolation have those rad assault shotguns.

One of my favourite bits from the novelisation that isn't in the film is how it mentions that shotgun is a family heirloom, handed down by his father and his father before him. Was a neat way to justify having such an anachronistic weapon in the film

This is something I'm yet to get stuck into. I just bought ALL the novels the other week, so I plan on doing some research once I'm ahead on pages.

We're still using WW2 based weaponry now - M14, for example. There's a lot of simply building on the platforms. Are you planning on doing any new variations? Like your own other versions of the Pulse Rifle?

Maybe, it all just sort of depends on the story. I'm not great with designing tech, and I love the designs of the weapons in the Alien universe, so I kinda figure if it ain't broke...

To heal someone being chestbursted!

No, worse...

[HuDaFuK]

No, worse...

Vasectomy?

[Corporal Hicks]

Maybe, it all just sort of depends on the story. I'm not great with designing tech, and I love the designs of the weapons in the Alien universe, so I kinda figure if it ain't broke...

Fair enough. There's plenty of other designs and etc outside of the films that are quite good though for if you want something different. The SMG from Colonial Marines was great, that sniper from the Tech Manual too. I still hope you can find room for that Pulse Rifle-ish shotgun from the AvP Classic concepts in that I posted many pages back. 

No, worse...

Hmmmm...headbite?!

[HuDaFuK]

I still hope you can find room for that Pulse Rifle-ish shotgun from the AvP Classic concepts in that I posted many pages back.

That was pretty cool. I remember finding one somebody had done online that was sort of similar, except the drum was at the back, like that sci-fi looking Jackhammer prototype that never got into production.

Talking of which, I'm surprised the Jackhammer hasn't influenced more sci-fi. You could pull the drum magazine out, rig it to a trip wire and turn it into a mine - trip the wire and it fires every shell it contains simultaneously, like a Claymore. I guess it's obscurity means it's never really been picked up on. Something like that would be perfect for the USCM.

[Corporal Hicks]

Just had to go and look that one up. I'm sure that's cropped up in one of the Battlefields.





Slap some olive on that and change the muzzle and I can completely see it in the USCM arsenal.

I also think the DP-12 looks quite futuristic and appropriate.

[HuDaFuK]

Just had to go and look that one up. I'm sure that's cropped up in one of the Battlefields.

Yeah, it's been in a few games. The original Far Cry was what introduced me to it. It's also in the 1990 Total Recall, although they're actually Strikers mocked up to resemble it - most obviously the drum's in front of the pistol grip in the film, not behind it.

I couldn't find the image I was thinking of online, but I came across a copy stashed on my PC. Here it is, helpfully drawn alongside the USCM sniper rifle:



The guy who drew it did a whole bunch of awesome modular Pulse Rifle concepts too, but I can't seem to find his best stuff on the web any more.

[Corporal Hicks]

I remember these. I might have them on my desktop somewhere. I'll have a check later tonight if I remember.

[Ultramorph]

To heal someone being chestbursted!

No, worse...

Oooh, I wonder what that will be. We've seen the med-pod used to wipe memories in Out of the Shadows, so it should be cool to see what else one can do.

[tyrannosaurusjones]

If anyone remembers who came up with those custom GBX rifles, let me know -- would love to speak to that person! As I said, I'm hopeless with guns, so I'm glad it's all already there

The DP12 looks a lot like a shorter version of the Isolation shotgun...

[Corporal Hicks]

If anyone remembers who came up with those custom GBX rifles, let me know -- would love to speak to that person! As I said, I'm hopeless with guns, so I'm glad it's all already there

Was it sh0dan, HuDa?

The DP12 looks a lot like a shorter version of the Isolation shotgun...

I can certainly see the similarities!