So what exactly do Colonial Marines do?

[Xenomrph]

To me, the whole setup of Camerons plot included the notion that we've still not discovered nor made contact to intelligent species out there. That's why Ripley's report is met with massive disbelief at the inquiry, that's why the lady remarks that they've never found anything like what Ripley talks about in 2-300 surveyed worlds. Same with the marines when Ripley tells them of her encounter in the hangar bay - they are highly suspicious and don't look like they could be remotely bothered to read her fantasy report.

Why would everybody be so dismissive of Ripley claiming to have encountered an intelligent alien species, if other intelligent alien species have been encountered already and have become part of 'everyday life', it seems? Doesn't make sense to me.

There is another alternative, distasteful as it may be: perhaps Arcturians aren't an intelligent extraterrestrial species.

[Local Trouble]

Yeah, they could be like sheep.

[Layorz]

Yeah, they could be like sheep.

Thems fighting words

[Local Trouble]

Are you a Kiwi?

[Layorz]

Yep

[Local Trouble]

Male or female: does it matter when it's mutton?

[Eva]

There is another alternative, distasteful as it may be: perhaps Arcturians aren't an intelligent extraterrestrial species.

Spoiler

Spoiler

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[ChrisPachi]

That's why Ripley's report is met with massive disbelief at the inquiry, that's why the lady remarks that they've never found anything like what Ripley talks about in 2-300 surveyed worlds. Same with the marines when Ripley tells them of her encounter in the hangar bay - they are highly suspicious and don't look like they could be remotely bothered to read her fantasy report..... Why would everybody be so dismissive of Ripley claiming to have encountered an intelligent alien species, if other intelligent alien species have been encountered already and have become part of 'everyday life', it seems? Doesn't make sense to me.

Ripley isn't just remarking on how they found intelligent life, she's claiming that they found an ancient spaceship that had alien eggs on board that infected a crew member and resulted in a monster that wiped out everyone on the ship bar herself in less than a day. It's not such a stretch to imagine that skepticism would be paramount, even if her audience wasn't a kangaroo court loaded with company stiffs or a bunch of meat-headed rogues with a collective IQ of 35.

[HuDaFuK]

The thing that always cracks me up about the Marines is they'd be utterly useless in combat against other people. Those Smartgunners, just standing around with their guns tied to their hips, wouldn't last five seconds out in the open like that.

[Xenomrph]

The USCM Tech Manual covers that - there's easy ways to fire the smartgun while prone, or from behind cover.

But yeah, the smartgun as depicted in 'Aliens' is pretty much straight up coasting on the Rule of Cool.

[HuDaFuK]

The USCM Tech Manual covers that - there's easy ways to fire the smartgun while prone, or from behind cover.

It does, but it doesn't really explain explain how you're meant to move from cover to cover quickly when you've got a huge, unwieldy gun strapped to you... Or move through a house. Or fit in a foxhole.

[Xenomrph]

Check my edit to my post.

[Kimarhi]

Smartgun would work if the smartgunners had a MW juggernaut like setup, otherwise as soon as they were caught in an ambush lol nope.

But technology is making weapons smaller, not bigger.  By that time even with tracking capabilities the weapon is likely to be half that size.

But '80s.

[Local Trouble]

The USCM Tech Manual covers that - there's easy ways to fire the smartgun while prone, or from behind cover.

It does, but it doesn't really explain explain how you're meant to move from cover to cover quickly when you've got a huge, unwieldy gun strapped to you... Or move through a house. Or fit in a foxhole.

Maybe smartguns are only used for bug hunts.

[MrSpaceJockey]

Bughunts aren't actual hunts for bugs.  Hudson was basically asking if there was going to be an actual stand up fight or some bullshit wild goose chase.