. Saturday if I end up being really lazy) and it'll be pretty long. Sorry for the long wait, but I'm hoping I can pick
. During that time, I really wanted to get a lot of stuff done, a little too much honestly. While I didn't get through everything, I went through the most important stuff first.State of The Story · 8:45pm Sep 2nd, 2017
It's not over, I promise!
Sorry for the long bout of silence. There's a lot in the way, with work, getting ready for school again and just new developments all around. Unfortunately, Steam reminded me that X-COM 2 had a new dlc out and I just had to buy it and play it. Which is exactly what I've been doing since it came out, besides the occasional mandatory breaks to go to work and do life things. War of The Chosen is actually really fun and it adds a lot to the game and improves a ton of mechanics. Well worth the wait. Mixed with alien hunters, it's quite the challenge (Seriously Firaxis, alien rulers too OP nerf plz).
But I'm not gonna get too much into that. Instead, I'd kinda like to talk about the state of The Harmony Initiative. No, I didn't stop working on it and yes, a new chapter will be out soon. I'm sorry that the wait has been so long. I have the motivation to write the story, it's just a matter of finding time to write it. Again, I apologize about the gaps, between chapters. It's slow and steady, but I'll get back into a regular groove eventually. I used to be able to write roughly 1,000 words a day, but everything is so bogged down at the moment 
. Having a job kinda sucks sometimes.
But, to show that I still have been making progress, I have another little snippet for the next chapter, as I usually do when the wait between chapters is just too long. I'm about 9,000 words in, just in case you guys want an idea for length and there'll be many more to get through. If I'm lucky, I can get the chapter done by next week and then I can start tweaking, but I don't want to rush things too much.
“Alright,” Cherry stood in the doorway, poking his head out quickly and looking down both ways the halls stretched. The solitary platforms were empty, save for a few bodies strewn about like bloodied dolls. He slid the door back into place and turned back to Jewel, sweet talking the children, each shivering and shuddering. “It’s looking clear right now. Give me a minute.”
He tapped his ear. “Rime?”
“I hear ya.”
“Got a class here. About nineteen, twenty maybe. Domino’s guy fuckin' ran off, saw a group of those flying things and hightailed it out of here. Didn't even wish me luck, that prick. You and Domino able to work it over here and--”
"Uh. Kids, Cherry."
"Um. Yeah? If the damn drawing on the walls weren't obvious--"
"No. I mean, tone it down. The language."
"S-seriously?" Cherry laughed. It felt good to laugh.
“Who ya talkin’ to?” Domino’s voice was faint, but Rime’s frustration was apparent, grunting and snarling like a mad dog.
“Touch me like that again and I’ll break those damn claws.”
"Ain't that cute. First date going okay?”
“Shut it. How far away from the Court are you?”
Cherry cleared his throat. “The stairway that Desmond and I walked through got smashed pretty bad. Getting down could get tricky, especially with the kids. I’d say about thirty minutes if we’re fast enough. Maybe longer. I am looking after children after all and Celestia knows how well they'll follow directions.”
“Celestia help them.” Cherry swore he could hear her chuckle. Was that supposed to be funny? “Lock it down up there. We’re coming up on a recreational area. We’ll sweep in and make our way back to you.”
“Got it.” Cherry sighed and closed the door, turning to Jewel and the children.
“So?” Jewel rose from the group and stepped forward, lowering her voice. Her aqua eyes scanned Cherry. “Are we going?”
“I’ve got my orders. I can’t escort you guys back to Thorax on my own.” Cherry admitted. Jewel looked crushed. “It’s too risky. I can’t move us all fast enough. If we get ambushed, everyone in here is as good as gone. We hide and sit tight some more. Take the kids to the far corner over there. I’ll keep watch on the door.”
Jewel shifted her lips. “We can’t stay here any longer, sir. The kids want their parents, they’re getting restless.”
“I get that.” Cherry scooted himself against the wall opposite of the door and let the robotic arms attached by the metal band keep the shotgun pointed at the door. “But I can’t take that chance. Not with their lives on the line. Do you know what’ll happen to me if...”
Jewel did not wait for him to finish. She gathered the younglings to the corner, ushering them with her sweet and soothing voice. Cherry could easily fall asleep listening to it. A moment later she sat herself beside him, a short and comfortable distance between the two. He almost told her to sit with the children, but she had already cut him off.
“Thank you for doing what you’re doing.” She said. Cherry’s ear flicked.
“It’s my job now. You shouldn’t be here, you should be with the children.”
“Now?”
“Wasn’t always a soldier. Used to be a merc. Shitty one. Did next to nothing for the group besides plan and whatever. Don’t even know why I was recommended alongside the others in my group.” Cherry relaxed, although the arms kept themselves trained on the door. He was probably saying too much, but he hardly cared anymore. “We’re trying to do the right thing now. Properly.”
Jewel was quiet. The cavern rumbled and the kids started talking amongst themselves, some whimpering and others granting their friends comfort. Cherry wanted that when he was younger. He wanted a lot. A warm bed, a good meal. The plan was fucked from the beginning and he knew as much before he jumped through The Commander’s portal. The only reason he did not resist was because he did not want to be locked up like Solemn. She was given pretty good treatment, given everyone’s disposition towards her and her mother. Cherry would not have those sympathies and he doubted Eva and the others would do much to vouch for him. He’d be locked in the coldest cell and be left to rot and Rime might even stop by just to taunt him.
“Well, for what it’s worth--” Jewel looked to the gathered children hiding in the corner. “--they definitely feel a lot safer now. Before you came, they did nothing but cry and beg for their parents. It was hard keeping them quiet, but...Here we are now, just begging for their parents. I'm glad the crying stopped. I just hope we can get them out of here alright.”
“You know what really fucks me about this whole thing? These aliens keep throwing new shit at us at every turn. It’s like we don’t even matter in the grand scheme of things. We’ve sat on this rock, not even knowing everything about it, for thousands upon thousands of years and next thing we know these guys come out of the ether and just start screwin’ with us. We are nothing compared to them and yet they were capable of travelling through the stars, probably doing this time and time again like it’s nothing. This is probably a sport to them. If we come out on top, I can’t help but imagining this guy coming down and congratulating us and bidding us farewell. After all of our cities and towns are destroyed.”
Jewel chuckled lightly. Cherry looked over at her. She was clearly uncomfortable, looking into the floor as if scanning it for anything other than rock or as if contemplating what came out of Cherry’s mouth. When she did pick up her head, she opened her mouth. “We can just rebuild can’t we?”
“Not as easy as it sounds.” Cherry shook his head. “We’d be blasted back to The Age of Dawn for all we know. Sticks and stones will dictate any wars after this one. Anything after that… Well, maybe monkeys will start to dominate the planet.”
“Not very optimistic are you?” Jewel looked as though she would cry.
“Sorry.” Cherry looked back to the door. “This whole thing has me…”
“It’s fine. We’re still alive, right? You must be doing something right.”
A warm feeling nestled itself in Cherry's chest. Not a feeling of love like others had given him before, some more recent than others. But pride swelled within him, even as Jewel stood and trotted to her class huddled in the corner.
Dude, I don't blame you about War of the Chosen. I am watching ChristpherOdd play through it, and I think he is getting pretty lucky with his campaign. One of the first faction orders he got for the Skirmishers was that as long as the order is active, at the end of the month ONE BLOCK WOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE AVATAR PROJECT PROGRESS BAR! He got that order active when the bar was a block away from being full, and after a few dozen months of it being active, the bar is around HALF FULL! A great combo move he found for opening an engagement was to plant the shrapnel version of the Reaper's Claymore in the middle of a group, then grenade the group, causing two explosions and massive damage. Also, remote start for Reapers can be devastating if used properly. Oh, and the first time he encountered the Chosen Hunter, he killed him, because Templar OP melee class. Oh, and he also has a Reaper faction order that makes any shot that hits a lost an instant headshot kill, regardless of damage.
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The faction orders are one of the greatest things they've added. It's so useful and I've never found one that I didn't like. It makes it so hard to choose sometimes! One of my favorites so far has to be the Reaper order, as you said, any shots against The Lost is an instant kill, next to increased supplies from supply drops, which the Skirmishers give, if I'm not mistaken. I don't know if it's just me (it probably is), but I can't use a Templar very effectively. The first one I got was totally demolished by mutons and my second one just barely survived the first encounter with the Warlock. I probably just have to get used to the Templar's' abilities. My first encounter with the Chosen Assassin was met with a near squad wipe
The thing with my playthrough is that it's intensified by the fact that the aliens from the Alien Hunters DLC pop up from time to time. So on top of having a Chosen potentially pop up, now I've got to worry about the Alien Rulers, which is horrifying. I've considered restarting the game without the Alien Hunters activated, but I made it a little too far to give it up now.
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In ChristopherOdd's campaign, before he even discovered the Warlock, two of the Rulers has decided to guard separate Alien Facilities. He only has three facilities on the geoscape, and the one he has access to is not guarded by a ruler. Like I said, lucky. And yeah, Odd also found out about the Muton Counter on Templars. His strat for using the Templar is to weaken an enemy so the Templar can kill it with one rend, then move the Templar into cover. Once a Templar kills one enemy, the focus makes him more viable for damage, and once they get the parry skill, they are even more versatile. Plus, one of Odds X-com skills on his Templar is the Psi-Operative's Sustain, on Leiutenant rank no less! I think the general consensus is that the Reaper's are the most powerful added class, though. I mean, they have a skill that allows you to see the movements of enemies they have sighted at all times, for crying out loud! Speaking of Reapers, that Resistance order with the supply drop is one of theirs, not the Skirmishers.
4656508
That's damn lucky! Wish I had that
. I don't doubt that the Reapers are one of the best. When it comes to getting an angle on the enemy or their abilities in general, they're just so versatile. Skirmishers are pretty neat too though, so for me, it kinda makes it hard to choose which one is the real best. I guess it really depends on the play style. I use my Reapers as long range flanking kind of units most of the time and scouts other times. I combine the skills of the Skirmishers and Rangers most of the time and my use of Templars might end up with me using them with Skirmishers. It's that pull ability that really kicks ass, especially if you can get a shieldbearer before it puts up shields.
THE TRUE NATURE BEHIND WHY THE FACTION IS CALLED THE REAPERS HAS BEEN REVEALED TO ME!
Ok, so i was watching more War of the Chosen by ChristopherOdd, and he got a Reaper to Rank Major. One of the skills that unlocked was called Banish. What that does, is that the Reaper takes shots at a target, until either the target dies or the Reaper runs out of ammo. It does reveal the Reaper, but the price is worth it, since each shot is rolled SEPARATELY! IMAGINE THE DAMAGE THAT COULD DO TO ANYTHING! Especially if the Reaper's rifle has a Superior Expanded Mag + Superior Repeater. SIX CONSECUTIVE SHOTS, EACH WITH A 15% CHANCE TO INSTANTLY KILL THE TARGET! Now imagine the applications against a Chosen. A Reaper is in a flanking position on a full-health Chosen, they have full ammo and a Superior Expanded Mag. Due to their flanking position, they have a 100% chance to hit, in addition to the flanking crit bonus. The Reaper then uses Banish, emptying the mag and getting SIX GUARANTEED SHOTS ON THE CHOSEN, WITH AT LEAST SOME OF THEM BEING CRITICALS! That Chosen will be down at least a third, if not half of their total health from just one ability! REAPER OP!
4667101
Reapers and Templars too OP plz nerf
Yeah, I'd gotten around to getting my Reaper upgraded too and she's just killer. They're especially useful for the alien facility missions, because they ca easily just go in and out without any problems. It's crazy just how powerful and helpful Reapers can be mid or late-game compared to early game in my opinion.
4667220
I take it from you grouping the Templars with them you finally got one to stay alive?
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Yeah, I initially used the Templar to finish off weakened enemies, but now he kicks mega ass. I've got my Templar and Reaper bonded so they work like clockwork. One goes in for slashies and the other finishes up the mess if they didn't get the kill. Probably not the best style of play, but it's been working for me so far
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OOOH! THAT IS AN EVIL COMBINATION! I DON'T CARE IF IT IS CHEAP, THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL STRATEGY!
LIES!!!