2298 replies to this topic

[Petya]

HQ isn't a faction on its own in terms of lore. It's the extension of PsiCorps, a division. HQ forces station in Antarctica and other key Epsilon positions, so they don't take part in most of the field operations of Epsilon (that's PsiCorps job), but that doesn't mean that PsiCorps won't borrow forces from them to use.

[Thesilver]

HQ's been borrowed like that since the first mission of act 2 with stealth tanks used by both scorpion cell and psicorps in the conqueror. Same goes for the stalkers and collosus. All HQ units have been introduced in psicorps missions. Only the hazequad and genomines are introduced in what is currently the only true HQ mission (unthinkable). Even huehuecoytel and godsend feel more psicorps than HQ.

[Meyerm]

So kind of like how in Act 1 PsiCorps itself was a secret division of the Russian forces and Russia made use of their tech, HQ is a special division of PsiCorps and PsiCorps uses their tech. Makes sense. Though I wouldn't see PsiCorps needing the more mundane parts of their arsenal like Opus tanks. 

[Solais]

This actually makes me wonder if Foehn will be similar. Last Bastion seems to be a faction that wouldn't "get out" much, so I kinda expect their tech borrowed by Haihead and Coronia.

[Derxwna Kapsyla]

*Hint* Some stolen techs will only appear in future covert operatives. *Hint*

 

That... doesn't sound like confirmed information in any way. None of the news posts have mentioned anything about stolen tech units appearing in the remainder of the Campaign, and Speeder hasn't said anything about it on Twitter to my knowledge.

Edited by Derxwna Kapsyla, 03 November 2018 - 03:37 AM.

[Meyerm]

So is there like a surgical implant or permanent brainwashing technique or something Epsilon uses for their own forces? Because it's pretty easy to figure Epsilon's armies are recruited from mind controlled victims, but for them to be independent of any outside means like a beacon or amplifier, there has to be some permanent method that doesn't rely on a continuous link with a controller. 

[Tathmesh]

Some of them just believe in Yuri's cause. No mind-control needed. He's kind of like the Kane of the Mental Omega universe, and Epsilon is his Nod.

Also he has a lot of clones.

Edited by Tathmesh, 07 November 2018 - 07:55 PM.

[Polaris Starnor]

I don’t think Yuri has clones in Mental Omega, but he basically is Kane in a sense.

[Meyerm]

But I think just by nature of his forces and his plan, stripping the free will of everyone through mind control, he'd be hard pressed to find willing volunteers outside of the psychically gifted that become his adepts and proselytes. I'm think mind control is used for recruitment, just wondering in what regards. Maybe there's some permanent brainwashing technique that wouldn't be viable in the field against enemy forces, like being imprisoned in large groups and forced to endure brainwashing technology for a few hours. Slow and requiring a secure captive audience, but permanent. I don't know, just brainstorming. 

[Polaris Starnor]

Refer to the first Epsilon mission, not even you, the proselyte, know the extent of Yuri’s plans, there’s just faith that if Yuri succeeds the world with be a paradise.

[Thesilver]

Psicorps in the beginning feels more like a cult more then anything. Probably why other russians found them so sketchy (aside from twisted MC technology). I don't think any of yuri's first followers and adepts were brainwashed but rather they saw their dream in yuri's promises (and gifts of freaking MC). This is basicly exactly how the nod operated (who the hell in nod even knows kane?) and not that new of a concept for cults. I am still wondering how it all started, what they were doing in archetype and how yuri managed to gain russia's trust (probably desperation to level the playing field with america is my guess so far).

[Meyerm]

Yes, that probably worked at the start, but by the current point in Act 2 Epsilon seems to have massive armies at their disposal, and I think it's just too coincidental for an army founded on the premise of using mind control to dominate entire countries to be staffed by willing, non-brainwashed recruits. 

[Polaris Starnor]

Keep in mind that Scorpion Cell joined on their free will before betraying epsilon, I’m sure there are others who would join the cause on their own free will.

Edited by Polaris Starnor, 08 November 2018 - 11:48 PM.

[Tathmesh]

Yes, that probably worked at the start, but by the current point in Act 2 Epsilon seems to have massive armies at their disposal, and I think it's just too coincidental for an army founded on the premise of using mind control to dominate entire countries to be staffed by willing, non-brainwashed recruits. 

 

Like I said, Yuri has a lot of clones. 

 

Polaris Starnor I don't mean "Yuri Clones" I mean general clones of archers, initiates and such that come out of Cloning Vats

 

In Exist to Exit and I think Relentless, there are Cloning Vats that Yuri is using to churn out replaceable soldiers. I think a sizable portion of his army are just clones of a handful of his followers. 

Edited by Tathmesh, 09 November 2018 - 01:50 AM.

[Meyerm]

Are there inconsistencies in the armadillo's appearance in Act 1? It seems it wasn't introduced until Act 2, but I've seen them in Unshakable and maybe other missions. 

[Thesilver]

They have been in the chinese arsenal since the beginning similar to almost all of their weapons. Whats different is that the armadillo got introduced in 3.3.0 so some of the 3.0 missions are still scripted to work with borillo's as chinese units. In ergo ergo hax for example you get borillo's despite it clearly being a chinese army. Some of the allied missions has the same thing. In sunlight i believe the chinese forces attack with borrilo's.  The epsilon mission where you use chinese units (which are also much earlier) clearly have armadillo's on the other hand.

[Terminal Velocity]

.  The epsilon mission where you use chinese units (which are also much earlier) clearly have armadillo's on the other hand.

If my memory doesn't fail me, in Think Different BOTH Borillos and Armadillos were buildable in previous versions. In 3.3.4 you can only build Borillos.

Spoiler

EDIT: Armadillos indeed do appear in Unshakable, and both Armadillo and Borillo are buildable.

Which is weird, because in Dragonstorm and Singularity the Chinese are still using the Borillos.

Edited by Terminal Velocity, 13 November 2018 - 12:16 PM.

[CrimsonRaider]

In contagion challenge I captured one of the epsilon bases (as china). After I sent the flying discs over the route of the green discs, my ones started to spread the toxins until the end of the challenge.

[Thesilver]

That happens to all vehicles in that challenge. The special floating disks 'infect' your units causing them to spew toxins constantly. This is very harmful to infantry but almost meaningless to vehicles. They also infect air units as you found out. I had it happen to plenty of vultures.

[CrimsonRaider]

That happens to all vehicles in that challenge. The special floating disks 'infect' your units causing them to spew toxins constantly. This is very harmful to infantry but almost meaningless to vehicles. They also infect air units as you found out. I had it happen to plenty of vultures.

 

I replayed the mission, sent a buncha discs into the bases. It helped a lot (power went down, adepts/brutes/archers died, wf/barracks got destroyed)