Prior to ALIENS, did the USCM encounter ALIENS before?

[Eidotemit]

That was a guy wasn't it?  Can't remember his exact words, but the meaning is still ambiguous - like all reputed references to other alien lifeforms.

Maybe you're right, maybe it was a man... thinking about it I can't remember the woman saying more than "its a rock, no indigenous life." Either way though, it was said. Yeah the phrase is ambiguous, and doesn't directly indicate that other life has been found, but it does carry that connotation. Same with the graphic on the dropship about exterminating species, it carries a connotation about it that suggests other hostile life has been encountered.

I'll concede there are hints here and there that humans may have discovered other complex life, but there is nothing concrete in the films to show for it.

Thank the makers for that. I'd rather it be kept ambiguous.

If the marines had encountered hostile aliens before - what kind?  Why would they need such massive firepower?  How did these 'bugs' threaten the colonists?  These questions and more are unanswered.

Apparently kinds that were hostile and posed a threat to civilian life and/or structures. They might not always need such massive firepower, but given that Ripley's description of the aliens, and the chance that they may be on LV426, they packed all the heat they may need for this mission.

[Flaming Firefox]

Apparently kinds that were hostile and posed a threat to civilian life and/or structures. They might not always need such massive firepower, but given that Ripley's description of the aliens, and the chance that they may be on LV426, they packed all the heat they may need for this mission.

Really if you think about it they didn't pack that much heat. One squad of marines? 9 marines 1 Android and 2 civilians against a threat as potentially dangerous as what Ripley described really impresses the point that WY really didn't buy into Ripley's story or wanted to keep it confined to a very few people. Probably the later...

Anyways they could have packed that Cruiser with Marines but they didn't.

[maledoro]

It's a slang word/term.  New slang words are created all the time.  Read literature from 100 years ago and it's full of them that you can't understand.

Actually, you can. I've read literature thousands of years old and can understand them. Not to mention that slang and jargon isn't pulled out of thin air; they require context.

That may be true but entirely irrelevant to the film.  In Starship Troopers, humanity was already dealing with the 'bugs' before the marines were sent in.

It's relevant. Cameron chose that word to convey the marines' mindset toward killing strange creatures.

That's arbitrary.  Why would they call alien species 'bugs'?

Without seeing the other species, it's difficult to say. Considering that a lot of worlds had hostile environments prior to terraforming, they might have been home to hardy creatures with exoskeletons.

If the marines had encountered hostile aliens before - what kind?  Why would they need such massive firepower?  How did these 'bugs' threaten the colonists?  These questions and more are unanswered.

Their weaponry would come in handy if they have to fight other human factions. After all, stand-up fights are part of what they train for.

Really if you think about it they didn't pack that much heat. One squad of marines? 9 marines 1 Android and 2 civilians against a threat as potentially dangerous as what Ripley described really impresses the point that WY really didn't buy into Ripley's story or wanted to keep it confined to a very few people. Probably the later...

Anyways they could have packed that Cruiser with Marines but they didn't.

Remember Hudson's speech that he gave Ripley about what they had?

I'm ready, man, check it out. I am the ultimate badass! State of the badass art! You do NOT wanna f**k with me. Check it out! Hey Ripley, don't worry. Me and my squad of ultimate badasses will protect you! Check it out! Independently targeting particle beam phalanx. Vwap! Fry half a city with this puppy. We got tactical smart missiles, phase-plasma pulse rifles, RPGs, we got sonic electronic ball breakers! We got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks...

Needless to say, the bold printed stuff isn't at your local Mall*Wart.

[Flaming Firefox]

Remember Hudson's speech that he gave Ripley about what they had?

Yeah I do, but regardless of the weapons they still went light on the personnel. Heck there wasn't even anybody left up in the cruiser, to open fire with anything. What if they needed backup? What if they all died?  That thing sits out there as pirate booty unless it has some kind of recall system and even then it has a chance of ending up as a pirate's prize.

[gameoverman]

It's a slang word/term.  New slang words are created all the time.  Read literature from 100 years ago and it's full of them that you can't understand.

Actually, you can. I've read literature thousands of years old and can understand them. Not to mention that slang and jargon isn't pulled out of thin air; they require context.

So what is the context 150 years into the future, then?

That may be true but entirely irrelevant to the film.  In Starship Troopers, humanity was already dealing with the 'bugs' before the marines were sent in.

It's relevant. Cameron chose that word to convey the marines' mindset toward killing strange creatures.

You don't know what Cameron was thinking when he wrote that.  Unless you are James Cameron..

That's arbitrary.  Why would they call alien species 'bugs'?

Without seeing the other species, it's difficult to say. Considering that a lot of worlds had hostile environments prior to terraforming, they might have been home to hardy creatures with exoskeletons.

That presumes a lot of things.  Lifeforms that aren't carbon-based - worlds that need to be terraformed because they are hostile to life as we know it.

There is no indication ever that they found an earth-like planet, so you are assuming they found a type of lifeform based on other elements (this is all theory - only the alien has been shown to survive such hostile environments and Ash seemed surprised at this).

If the marines had encountered hostile aliens before - what kind?  Why would they need such massive firepower?  How did these 'bugs' threaten the colonists?  These questions and more are unanswered.

Their weaponry would come in handy if they have to fight other human factions. After all, stand-up fights are part of what they train for.

Of course, yeah, they would need such weaponry to fight humans but nothing is said in the movie about any kinds of weapons that had already been used to fight 'bugs' or 'hostile aliens'.

Nukes, smartguns, plasma rifles.. to kill some minor threatening 'bugs'?  Unless Cameron was trying to suggest a crossover universe with Starship Troopers.  

[maledoro]

So what is the context 150 years into the future, then?

Aliens wasn't written in the 22nd century. So (again), going by Cameron's inspiration, Starship Troopers, "bugs" are aliens that the marines shoot.

You don't know what Cameron was thinking when he wrote that.  Unless you are James Cameron..

...or read interviews of him.

That presumes a lot of things.  Lifeforms that aren't carbon-based - worlds that need to be terraformed because they are hostile to life as we know it.

Again, you need to use context.

There is no indication ever that they found an earth-like planet, so you are assuming they found a type of lifeform based on other elements (this is all theory - only the alien has been shown to survive such hostile environments and Ash seemed surprised at this).

I make no such assumption. Going on this and your previous point, why do aliens have to be anything other than carbon-based?

Of course, yeah, they would need such weaponry to fight humans but nothing is said in the movie about any kinds of weapons that had already been used to fight 'bugs' or 'hostile aliens'.

They have to categorize them according to every single application? That would make one helluva long speech from Hudson!

Nukes, smartguns, plasma rifles.. to kill some minor threatening 'bugs'?  Unless Cameron was trying to suggest a crossover universe with Starship Troopers.

You were doing good when you had acknowledged that they would use these things on other humans and their armaments.

[SiL]

Actually, you can. I've read literature thousands of years old and can understand them. Not to mention that slang and jargon isn't pulled out of thin air; they require context.

Been touching up on your Old English and Latin?

...I know I have.

[maledoro]

Actually, you can. I've read literature thousands of years old and can understand them. Not to mention that slang and jargon isn't pulled out of thin air; they require context.

Been touching up on your Old English and Latin?

...and Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, etc.

[SiL]

What about Egyptian?

[gameoverman]

So what is the context 150 years into the future, then?

Aliens wasn't written in the 22nd century. So (again), going by Cameron's inspiration, Starship Troopers, "bugs" are aliens that the marines shoot.

You don't know what Cameron was thinking when he wrote that.  Unless you are James Cameron..

...or read interviews of him.

Ok, I would like to know which interview he said that the marines had hunted aliens before.  Was it on the quadrilogy?

That presumes a lot of things.  Lifeforms that aren't carbon-based - worlds that need to be terraformed because they are hostile to life as we know it.

Again, you need to use context.

There is no indication ever that they found an earth-like planet, so you are assuming they found a type of lifeform based on other elements (this is all theory - only the alien has been shown to survive such hostile environments and Ash seemed surprised at this).

I make no such assumption. Going on this and your previous point, why do aliens have to be anything other than carbon-based?

They don't but the question is can a carbon-based lifeform evolve under non-earth like conditions...

Of course, yeah, they would need such weaponry to fight humans but nothing is said in the movie about any kinds of weapons that had already been used to fight 'bugs' or 'hostile aliens'.

They have to categorize them according to every single application? That would make one helluva long speech from Hudson!

Nukes, smartguns, plasma rifles.. to kill some minor threatening 'bugs'?  Unless Cameron was trying to suggest a crossover universe with Starship Troopers.

You were doing good when you had acknowledged that they would use these things on other humans and their armaments.

You still haven't answered why they would need marines to take care of a few pesky bugs.

[Layorz]

You still haven't answered why they would need marines to take care of a few pesky bugs.

Because civilian personnel arent trained fighters? Maybe the bugs arent 3 cms long like they are on earth? I mean why would you need police to take down a single pesky gunman..

[maledoro]

What about Egyptian?

If I had a need for it, I could always consult E.A. Wallis Budge.

Ok, I would like to know which interview he said that the marines had hunted aliens before.  Was it on the quadrilogy?

I can't nail down anything specific off the top of my head, but Ron Cobb, who had worked closely with Cameron, explains the "Bug Stomper" nose cone art. Other than that, pick up a book or two about the making of Aliens; you'll stumble across it soon enough.

They don't but the question is can a carbon-based lifeform evolve under non-earth like conditions...

Such as...?

You still haven't answered why they would need marines to take care of a few pesky bugs.

You never asked the question. You asked about why they would need heavy weaponry for that kind of duty. Now, you're saying a "few pesky bugs". Would they need a platoon for that? No. But if there were a large number of them, more than what a colony's security team could handle, then they would need the Marines and maybe some bigger weapons to take out a large population of creatures.

[gameoverman]

What about Egyptian?

If I had a need for it, I could always consult E.A. Wallis Budge.

Ok, I would like to know which interview he said that the marines had hunted aliens before.  Was it on the quadrilogy?

I can't nail down anything specific off the top of my head, but Ron Cobb, who had worked closely with Cameron, explains the "Bug Stomper" nose cone art. Other than that, pick up a book or two about the making of Aliens; you'll stumble across it soon enough.

They don't but the question is can a carbon-based lifeform evolve under non-earth like conditions...

Such as...?

You still haven't answered why they would need marines to take care of a few pesky bugs.

You never asked the question. You asked about why they would need heavy weaponry for that kind of duty. Now, you're saying a "few pesky bugs". Would they need a platoon for that? No. But if there were a large number of them, more than what a colony's security team could handle, then they would need the Marines and maybe some bigger weapons to take out a large population of creatures.

Alright, I'm not going to further go into inane irrelevancies.

It's just that I don't think what was intended with Aliens was anything like Starship Troopers, especially considering the first film.

You can believe whatever you want, but until we see another alien film with marines blasting away creatures other than the xenos we all know and love (or at least mention it, rather than give us subtle hints), then from there it's all conjecture.  Maybe a Colonial Marines TV series would be good. 

[maledoro]

Alright, I'm not going to further go into inane irrelevancies.

Thank you.

It's just that I don't think what was intended with Aliens was anything like Starship Troopers, especially considering the first film.

Denial is a comfort to some. Nevertheless, Cameron had used that novel as a blueprint of sorts for Aliens.

You can believe whatever you want, but until we see another alien film with marines blasting away creatures other than the xenos we all know and love (or at least mention it, rather than give us subtle hints), then from there it's all conjecture.

I'll believe what's in the background materials connected to Aliens. Feel free to watch the Quadrilogy documentaries or read up on the making of Aliens in books about the series.

[gameoverman]

Alright, I'm not going to further go into inane irrelevancies.

Thank you.

It's just that I don't think what was intended with Aliens was anything like Starship Troopers, especially considering the first film.

Denial is a comfort to some. Nevertheless, Cameron had used that novel as a blueprint of sorts for Aliens.

You can believe whatever you want, but until we see another alien film with marines blasting away creatures other than the xenos we all know and love (or at least mention it, rather than give us subtle hints), then from there it's all conjecture.

I'll believe what's in the background materials connected to Aliens. Feel free to watch the Quadrilogy documentaries or read up on the making of Aliens in books about the series.

Well obviously if you're going to make a movie about a bunch of soldiers killing space aliens you're going to go to the best sources.  Starship Troopers was an inspiration - and Cameron just threw in a few little cute references to it as well.