OpenXcom Forum
Contributions => Offtopic => Topic started by: crisisdude on October 17, 2013, 02:10:15 am
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Hi, i'm a new xcom player. Openxcom is the first opportunity I've had to play xcom and i LOVE IT! ;D But I was wondering, how do you vets exit the Skyranger? I've seen many people do it differently and I wanna have the best bet for my soldiers. I normally throw a smoke grenade and then end turn 1.
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smoke on the ramp, 2nd smoke right inside the Ranger -> end Turn 1
if FlyingSuits, 3rd smoke up on top of the cabin...
carry extras. Ranged-based shots make hitting at a distance unlikely, but I've had some luck luring them closer with ... smoke. Anyway, by the end of Turn 2 i try to have everyone out on the ground, in the smoke, and have concentration of firepower in all directions; front man kneeling, standing behind or kneeling on the ramp to shoot over the front heads. Reserve timeunits for 2 reaction snaps, and check under the Ranger ASAP
remember that the Ranger has fins that stick out the back and tend to get in the way... kneeling on the middle of the ramp will shoot under them, but at the top they get in the way.
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cool I'll have to try that. :) So is there any other tips you can give me? i'm playing on veteran
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stay in groups of 3+
never send a good soldier upstairs or around a corner because "ah there's nothing there anyway"...
use an assortment of explosives to clear walls and brush from a distance
always keep the Ranger stocked with electroflares!! Blow things up first, interrogate aliens later :p
Have a supply of a half dozen low-stat soldiers that go out of the Ranger first; when they spot an alien, have your good soldiers shoot them from a safe distance: the guys in front will die (sooner or later) but a good soldier with 2 dozen missions accomplished should be protected. This ain't Rambo (that rarely works..)
tech is a whole nother story, good luck Cap'm
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cool I'll have to try that. :) So is there any other tips you can give me? i'm playing on veteran
You might want to hop down to Beginner until you get used to the game's flow and mechanics. Don't worry, despite being the easiest level, it's not easy at all. That's X-COM, baby. ;D
As for smoke, I supposed I've never used it extensively, mainly because its effects have remained largely unclear to me. It's always felt like a difficult, double-edged tool. Yes, it blocks line of sight and all that, but that works both ways. If you pop smoke at the base of the ramp, and within the Skyranger as well if things are hot... sure, the aliens can't see you, but how can you see past the smoke yourself to get the drop on them? Can units in a cloud of smoke see outside more easily than those who would try and see into/past one?
That's why I'm generally uncomfortable using smoke grenades, because I feel they'd hamper me as much as they would the aliens.
stay in groups of 3+
Actually, careful with that. Aliens use their fantastically destructive grenades far more often in OpenXcom than they did in the original game, and won't hesitate to hurl them if they spot teams of 2+ troopers. It's become quite tricky since grouping is necessary to keep soldiers covering each other and advancing safely.
The only advice I can provide, taking that into consideration, is to avoid staying in too tight groups in built-up areas like the urban environments in terror missions: the amount of clutter represents a problem to line of sight, and being around multiple corridors/alleys increases the chances of aliens popping around corners to lob their explosives.
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You might want to hop down to Beginner until you get used to the game's flow and mechanics. Don't worry, despite being the easiest level, it's not easy at all. That's X-COM, baby. ;D
your right. I got my booty handed to me on a silver platter in veteran.
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stay in groups of 3+
never send a good soldier upstairs or around a corner because "ah there's nothing there anyway"...
use an assortment of explosives to clear walls and brush from a distance
always keep the Ranger stocked with electroflares!! Blow things up first, interrogate aliens later :p
Have a supply of a half dozen low-stat soldiers that go out of the Ranger first; when they spot an alien, have your good soldiers shoot them from a safe distance: the guys in front will die (sooner or later) but a good soldier with 2 dozen missions accomplished should be protected. This ain't Rambo (that rarely works..)
tech is a whole nother story, good luck Cap'm
Thanks that'll help allot.
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... smoke buys time. If the squad is out of position or an alien is giving a rough angle, say, then if someone can put up a smoke that'll buy a round or two to get in better position. Also, if there's an alien staring into the Ranger I won't even move, just drop smoke and deploy next turn. I'd rather let them walk into reaction fire from four or five of my soldiers than give them a single shot up the ramp.
good pt. about the new grenade action!
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So are tanks good? I haven't used them yet
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Tanks are good scouts, they can take a lot of damage and travel quite far. I wouldn't use them to attack though (unless you really have to), as it's best to let your soldiers build up their skills
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Rookie wave tactics! Seize the initiative! The aliens will not expect such sheer useless leadership!!!!
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from the Xcom play book, page 15, paragraph 2: primed high explosives make an excellent "dead man's switch"
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from the Xcom play book, page 15, paragraph 2: primed high explosives make an excellent "dead man's switch"
Lord Finisher vs ... snakes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuLuvilNgGc)
t=1m -> t=2m
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So are tanks good? I haven't used them yet
They can take the beating your rookies can't.
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I am a big fan of motion sensors. After I toss smoke grenades and end turn 1, I'll check the motion scanner to see which side of the craft I should exit first.
I have also lost chunks of men by unloading them all out of the skyranger at once. Be careful, because grenades are nasty.
I tend to give my "useless" rookie scouts a handgun and a motion sensor to scout.
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Ok, sounds like I should start using tanks then, thanks for all the replies. :)
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Keep in mind HWPs are quite expensive (over $400k, 10 times the price of a rookie), so just because they can soak up some measure of punishment doesn't mean you should expose them recklessly.
I haven't been using them all that well lately, precisely exposing them too much, but I suppose the key is to use them as spotters and keep them hidden while the aliens take their turn.
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I'll try it out when i play it today
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Soldiers are cheaper then tanks and can carry more firepower per space on skyranger, rookies are pretty cheap when compared to tanks, the only reason to really use tanks are using them as mobile shields for important soldiers, although really you can also use rookies as mobile meat-shields for your vets as well.
Rookies are indeed nature's kevlar.
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Smoke grenades might be more trouble than they are worth on Snakeman and, to a lesser extent, Floater terror missions because they obscure your soldiers' vision as well as the aliens.
You do not want Chrysalids or Reapers walking up to your soldiers unseen.
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Smoke when getting out of the ship.
But proxies, high reaction sentries and the spot 'n snipe tactic in the field. ^^
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Soldiers are cheaper then tanks and can carry more firepower per space on skyranger, rookies are pretty cheap when compared to tanks, the only reason to really use tanks are using them as mobile shields for important soldiers, although really you can also use rookies as mobile meat-shields for your vets as well.
Rookies are indeed nature's kevlar.
Well, no, while HWPs are far more expensive than rookies, when used properly there's a place for their exceptional mobility and staying power in the form of armoured recon. Firepower isn't much of an issue since, ideally, you'd avoid exposing the platform, and use its weapons only when there's no soldier that can take the shot and it's imperative someone (or something) takes it that turn.
HWPs really shouldn't be judged like line combatants, so to speak, because their high cost makes them non-expendable.
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Hey the beauty of XCom is the variety of ways to play it. Using HWPs as a damage soak can be quite successful when you have soldiers you really want to protect. You can be morbid and give similar protection with rookies.
I like using Rocket-Tanks as they are superior to rocket equipped soldiers, and it can be fun to play around with a Cannon HWP as well but typically there aren't many situations where 4 more soldiers are worse then a tank. Oddly enough though in one of my games on OXC I think my Cannon Tank has the most kills and has been clutch in winning many missions even though there are soldiers with better stats and equipment.
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ahh hate cannon tanks...
for me they're so lousy i boosted the power of cannon shells and gave them a bit better chance to hit. (and lowered their price a lot) I have one at my main base as sort of a toy. Take a potshot or bust open a brick wall... Send it out scouting for half-tu's, then bring it back in and sorta hide it behind a rookie..
i have no luck with cannon tanks,
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I've lately just used rookies but tanks with rocket launchers are Better, i have guys sit in the back with auto cannons so i don't have to worrie about killing whatever i find with my scouts
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So does anyone use the heavy laser? I have not tried it and I was wondering.
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Nah Heavy Laser is pretty pointless, there is only one enemy in the game which is the sectopod where heavy laser is better then anything else but even then laser rifles aren't too bad either. I like to mod the heavy laser though to give it a high-accuracy and high TU cost to make it a sniper weapon and so can have some use later on.
The only reason to research Heavy Laser without modding though is to get Laser Cannon (for Interceptors) and Laser HWP. Laser HWP isn't actually too bad as it packs a pretty heavy punch and can do 1 hit kills on many enemies although it's obsolete once you get heavy plasma.
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Personally, I've modded the Heavy Laser to give it a 40% accuracy, 40% TUs auto-shot option. I felt it was missing.
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alright its basically pointless, I don't use laser cannons anyway
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alright its basically pointless, I don't use laser cannons anyway
Not many people really use laser cannons, doesn't stop them from building lots of them though.
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Not many people really use laser cannons, doesn't stop them from building lots of them though.
Wait do they sell for more then Med kits? Because that's what i sell for money
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https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Manufacturing_Profitability
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Thanks for the link
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I just starting jumping my guys out of the Skyranger... normally 4-5 soldiers, more if the first few get shot. I try to kill any aliens surrounding the Skyranger/posing a threat on the first turn
Never skipped the first turn, the idea just seems really lame
The ambush/initial danger of exiting is one of the few advantages aliens have, in first few turns. If you use the fact the AI will move off you may as well edit savegames or save/reload
Especially in terror missions while civilians are being eaten
I normally take smoke grenades with me but hardly ever use them because TU cost of prime + throw is almost a full turn. Might be worth using them on 2nd turn once your guys are out and you can spot some aliens
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Until just recently I never, EVER bothered with smoke grenades. I also never, EVER skipped turn 1. As for the smoke grenades there was very good motivation for NOT using them - the 80-item limit. As for not skipping turn 1 it simply never occurred to me that the REASON so many troops died on the ramp is because on turn 1 the aliens have EVERY TU available to them and all they're doing as you move is stand there waiting for you to move into view so they can start burning TU's to start burning you.
Now, with Openxcom and the ease of equipping and re-ordering soldier positions in the skyranger, my SOP is that anyone in view gets shot at, otherwise a pre-primed smoke grenade goes at the bottom of the ramp and it's "End Turn". Then step to top square of ramp, turn 90 degrees, step off, turn 45/90 more to reveal terrain to front of skyranger. Choice of movement and tactics from there are entirely dependant upon terrain and positioning of any aliens in view. However, someone STILL always has to move to the front landing gear because they WILL move there and you won't see them standing behind the rear landing gear even if the FOW is cleared. Always check those corners, people.
I feel no guilt in countering the games unjustifiable blindness of your troops to ALL knowledge of the terrain around your craft as it lands, much less aliens standing in the open waiting to shoot at you. By simply burning turn 1 and allowing the aliens to use up their TU's in movement before MY troops are forced to step, blind, into the open fields of reaction fire I feel things balance out to what they should be.
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The aliens should have their TU's HALVED in the first round like in UFO:TTS.
So you have a slightly better chance as well.
Also it rarely happens in TTS, that aliens are actually facing the Skyranger, let alone take a pot shot on a hapless disembarking trooper... XD
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I'm fine giving the aliens an advantage, I can just sneak through a smoke cloud in turn 2
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Though if OpenXcom would ever go multiplayer it should be addressed... ;)
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Though if OpenXcom would ever go multiplayer it should be addressed... ;)
The Dev team already said they wouldn't make multiplayer, its a single player thing. If you want multiplayer play ufo2000 with the link on the website
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The aliens should have their TU's HALVED in the first round like in UFO:TTS.
So you have a slightly better chance as well.
Also it rarely happens in TTS, that aliens are actually facing the Skyranger, let alone take a pot shot on a hapless disembarking trooper... XD
Where's the challenge then?
Aliens getting the advantage/reaction fire on the first turn makes perfect sense. I don't imagine a skyranger lands at a crash/terror site noiselessly. Usually you even park right next to the UFO. They have all the time to set up an ambush, in fact it would make no sense for them NOT to do that
It isn't a surprise situation, defenders should get that advantage
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Where's the challenge then?
Aliens getting the advantage/reaction fire on the first turn makes perfect sense. I don't imagine a skyranger lands at a crash/terror site noiselessly. Usually you even park right next to the UFO. They have all the time to set up an ambush, in fact it would make no sense for them NOT to do that
It isn't a surprise situation, defenders should get that advantage
All true but unfortunately doesn't pan out too much in practice. I mean for an ideal hard AI it would be camping the skyranger exit ramp for as long as it can however what actually happens is turn 1 all aliens have full TU and will be facing skyranger (thanks to Warboy), turn 2 aliens will go to patrol mode and generally won't end on full TU and some may face skyranger but are just as likely to be facing elsewhere.
I'm sure bastard mode AI could be implemented where aliens will just camp and then if you manage to break out of the killing zone (with smoke grenades and/or attrition) they will go to hide, pop out and shoot, hide.
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The Dev team already said they wouldn't make multiplayer, its a single player thing. If you want multiplayer play ufo2000 with the link on the website
UFO:TTS ^^