though only for the tiles that are both too dark to see and inside the motion scanner range.
Theoritically you can kill aliens in pitch dark situation with just your soldier sprite, scanner, and flashing cursor but your soldier must spoted them with normal night line of sight.Really you need to see an enemy to kill it? whats the force-shooting for?
Really you need to see an enemy to kill it? whats the force-shooting for?
95% of my instances of using the Motion Scanner is before breaching small UFOs. I like to take a few measures (several turns) to detect what's inside and where. Besides, if I know that there is an alien inside but this turn I haven't detected it, or I did but the scanner only shows a small dot, then it means they have full TUs and are likely to fire at me straight away.
Basically, I suggest to indicate directly on the map the spotted aliens, to remove the need to use a pencil and a piece of paper to draw a diagram and count the tiles on the combat zone. Yeah... 8)I never bothered to do any paper mapping and I have still found motion scanner immensely helpful and life-saving.
I never used the motion scanner prior to reading this thread, and I now agree, in certain situations it can save lives. Using it is _such_ a hassle though, I'd love to see a mod/option to make it less painful. I'd even accept some amount of "error" (readings randomly sometimes off by a tile or two) if it just displayed it's reading superimposed over the battlescape.
I never used the motion scanner prior to reading this thread, and I now agree, in certain situations it can save lives. Using it is _such_ a hassle though, I'd love to see a mod/option to make it less painful. I'd even accept some amount of "error" (readings randomly sometimes off by a tile or two) if it just displayed it's reading superimposed over the battlescape.Why hassle? It's just clicking on the scanner and choosing scan.
Well, it is kinda hassle. It'd be nice if you could put it on soldiers in some different way, like helmet or goggles for example, so it wouldn't use hand slot. Then it would be less annoying to use.I see. I think it was based on the motion tracker from Aliens.
Well, it is kinda hassle. It'd be nice if you could put it on soldiers in some different way, like helmet or goggles for example, so it wouldn't use hand slot. Then it would be less annoying to use.
That would be way too easy, and used in every turn by half the squad. That would be a hassle!Well, that where "kinda" is for. Learning to use Motion Scanner efficiently takes too long relative to its usefulness in my opinion. Its not that there aren't situations where its extremely useful, such as ufo interiors. Its just that many beginner players just wont bother to try it more than once.
With all due respect, I can't understand how using a hand-held item is a hassle at all.
But them you'd also have to answer why Xcom troopers don't carry nightvision googles. Or flashlights.
I can't relate - the scanning results were always pretty obvious to me... But then I'm a genius, so how would I understand? :DTrue. It may be something related to some type of intelligence that allows intuitively understand it without having to do any conscious process of sorting it out on paper or in memory. I guess we can consider ourselves to be made aware of our privilege.
You use this at the beginning of your turn where the only motion detected is the alien's.
It is a niche tool, but definitely not useless.
It is a survival tool much like smoke grenades.
QuoteQuote from: bread1804 on Today at 04:58:40 am
You use this at the beginning of your turn where the only motion detected is the alien's.
It is a niche tool, but definitely not useless.
Yes, this is the key to understanding the use of the motion scanner. It must be used at the start of your turn, before you move any troops, or have only moved the operator.
QuoteQuote from: Solarius Scorch on Today at 03:24:58 am
I can't relate - the scanning results were always pretty obvious to me... But then I'm a genius, so how would I understand? :D
True. It may be something related to some type of intelligence that allows intuitively understand it without having to do any conscious process of sorting it out on paper or in memory. I guess we can consider ourselves to be made aware of our privilege.
Why would I need to use so many scanners in the same area?
Because using them in remote places causes no problems, and using them in the same area gives roughly the same results...
@ Sturm, @ Solarius ScorchThat's an awesome situation. Five squads (five squads? That would be about 50 soldiers O_o ?) sitting in the smoke, carefully drawing diagrams on paper, analysing what enemies did when they used motion scanner before moving out further half-an-hour later. Meanwhile the enemy just sits in the exact same position they were during the scanning.
True. It may be something related to some type of intelligence that allows intuitively understand it without having to do any conscious process of sorting it out on paper or in memory. I guess we can consider ourselves to be made aware of our privilege.
So cute! ;D :-*
Kawaii! ;D :-* :-*
Divide your team in different squads; one squad with soldiers equipped with Flying Suits to enter the UFO on the top, by the hole made with a Blaster Launcher, to kill Alien Commanders and make panicking Alien Soldiers; one squad on the floor to enter by a door/hole; one squad on the floor to enter by another door/hole; one or two others squads to check the farms around; all squads equipped with Motion Scanners making use of them before moving then after moving, all in the same turn, and all of this in smoke from Smoke Grenades...
...and the supposed superior intelligence of some becomes again what it is in reality:
"intelligence of the ignorants" :P ::) 8) :-* :-* ;D
Five squads (five squads? That would be about 50 soldiers O_o ?)
QuoteQuote from: Solarius ScorchYeah, but I bet some people took it seriously. :D
My Vote for most useless piece of X-Com equipment. . .
The Electro Flare
I never use it. I never even order it.
Next useless item:
Auto-Cannon Incendiary ammunition
Why go small when you can go big? Just use an Incendiary Rocket (I keep one spare if I really need it on a night mission).
Start of Useful, but very poor use items (as in not useless, but it sucks . . .)
Pistol and Pistol Clip
Wow! How many incendiary rocket rounds can a soldier carryOnly a couple at most, considering if im giving him a rocket launcher the intention is for him to shoot something damaging with it (large rockets).
Maybe they're referring to the fact that sometimes pistols don't kill sectoids in one shot.
However I don't understand how Pistol is useless. It's the best early game long-range sniping weapon, with the ability to squeeze out far more Aimed shots than anything else. :)