Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 01, 2016, 10:01:13 pm
This megamod will allow you to grow X-Com from its humbled beginnings, as a two-men team travelling the world in an expensive-looking car to the global the military force we all know and love. It contains many, many additions, like new mission types, enemies, equipment and story arcs (including the entirety of my previous project, the Final Mod Pack). It also places the game a bit more firmly in the 90's conspiracy genre and its clichés.
Defeat the enemies from the outer space, the oceans the underground, but primarily within our own society!
The mod is definitely playable, but some side arcs are still being developed.
GET THE MOD HERE: https://openxcom.mod.io/the-x-com-files
Feel free to check out Ksenni's sound enhancement mod, adding a plethora of specific gun and unit sounds: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,8870.0.html
For changelog, go here. (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5427.0.html)
Post by: Meridian on May 01, 2016, 10:23:18 pm
OXCE download: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5258.0.html
Post by: R1dO on May 02, 2016, 12:28:26 am
Having seen some of your previous modding results this could only become a fantastic mod.
One thing though .. is it for OXC or OXCE (i believed you've mentioned something about OXCE for your newest mod, but i'm not sure if this is the one you meant).
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 02, 2016, 12:30:41 am
Congrats
Having seen some of your previous modding results this could only become a fantastic mod.
One thing though .. is it for OXC or OXCE (i believed you've mentioned something about OXCE for your newest mod, but i'm not sure if this is the one you meant).
Yes, it's for OXCE+. The file is distributed with the mod, just like Piratez.
Well then, waiting for reviews. 8)
Post by: new_civilian on May 02, 2016, 12:36:48 am
*downloads* 8)
Post by: R1dO on May 02, 2016, 12:42:38 am
Unfortunately an .exe won't work here since all my computers run Xubuntu. If you can provide links to the specific repository commit [1] used for the creation of that specific .exe i'm sure i can build my own version (as i do with OXC).
[1] Or even better: SHA string (first 7 will do) and the name of the repository (and if needed branch).
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 02, 2016, 12:47:07 am
Wanted to wait with extended till i have had a bit more quality time with regular OXC ... hmmm ... but i am curious.
Unfortunately an .exe won't work here since all my computers run Xubuntu. If you can provide links to the specific repository commit [1] used for the creation of that specific .exe i'm sure i can build my own version (as i do with OXC).
[1] Or even better: SHA string (first 7 will do) and the name of the repository (and if needed branch).
Look here at the first post: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4187.0.html
It contains a build for Xubuntu. But it's a bit older, so you'll experience a lot of lagging, since the game has increased view distance.
Post by: Arctic on May 02, 2016, 01:26:14 am
Post by: Cooper on May 02, 2016, 03:21:47 am
Looking great so far. Love being restricted to only two soldiers at the beginning, makes the game very intense! Very nice enemies :)
Post by: NebulaM78 on May 02, 2016, 08:43:02 am
Post by: Kammerer on May 02, 2016, 09:47:49 am
Post by: Meridian on May 02, 2016, 10:17:30 am
Unfortunately an .exe won't work here since all my computers run Xubuntu. If you can provide links to the specific repository commit [1] used for the creation of that specific .exe i'm sure i can build my own version (as i do with OXC).
[1] Or even better: SHA string (first 7 will do) and the name of the repository (and if needed branch).
All info in the second post of this thread: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4595.msg64120.html#msg64120
Post by: eisenefaust on May 02, 2016, 10:39:02 am
I look forward to it's continual development.
Post by: NebulaM78 on May 02, 2016, 10:52:20 am
Post by: new_civilian on May 02, 2016, 11:12:50 am
1. Loved the new enemies
2. The new faces are interestingly totally rocking my XCom world, I always expect to see the usual ones and all of a sudden there is someone I have never seen before! ;D Nice!
3. The starting transportation idea is nice :)
4. Ufopaedia pics/entries are good, do you have a tool that converts pictures into the XCom pallette files? I so want one...
5. Of course (hey, it's an alpha) there were some things not there yet or missing. I am not sure if I report those things yet?
Oh well, I'll do it anyway ;D Remember that I KNOW that those are minor alpha problems.
1. CONCEALABLE not CONCELABLE? not sure
2. The HQ facility has no ufopaedia
3. The weapons/equipment is totally unsorted, gasp! :D
4. There were too many missions happening at the same time (4 or 5!) :o
5. The Mudranger has no Ufopedia entry at the start even though you can buy it
6. Which leads to a nasty surprise when you launch it with a squad (range) :D
7. TU costs are too high, It seems you are using the high XPiratez inventory costs, which I loath ;D Really I mean picking up a corpse takes me 20 TUs? Please reconsider! :o
8. Daylight indicator mod is missing :P
9. Toxi Suit has wrong Ufopedia pic (yeah i know, alpha)
10. Melee starting stats for rookies are too low. I had several persons with ~20, making anything melee useless. And yes I know, use the GYm etc. :D
2. The HQ facility has no ufopaedia
3. The weapons/equipment is totally unsorted, gasp! :D
4. There were too many missions happening at the same time (4 or 5!) :o
5. The Mudranger has no Ufopedia entry at the start even though you can buy it
6. Which leads to a nasty surprise when you launch it with a squad (range) :D
7. TU costs are too high, It seems you are using the high XPiratez inventory costs, which I loath ;D Really I mean picking up a corpse takes me 20 TUs? Please reconsider! :o
8. Daylight indicator mod is missing :P
9. Toxi Suit has wrong Ufopedia pic (yeah i know, alpha)
10. Melee starting stats for rookies are too low. I had several persons with ~20, making anything melee useless. And yes I know, use the GYm etc. :D
A tip: Disable the Sneaky AI setting, the starting enemies are mostly melee and will suffer from that option.
Otoh, if you don't like being surrounded by enemies in a dark forest at night.... ;D
Nice work, looking forward to playing it!
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 02, 2016, 01:09:05 pm
After playing for a while, one thing I can say is that this mod is hard. First and foremost is the crappy accuracy of your agents (big surprise). Another thing is that the only viable long distance transport at the start is the car, which only seats 2 guys. It's tough to take down 10+ cultists with just two guys who shoot like they have eye defects.
Yes, it's true. That's why I wrote the tip to research Logistics ASAP. It's still only a van, but 4 people is better than 2...
1. Loved the new enemies
Cool! Would you mean the cultists or the beasties?
2. The new faces are interestingly totally rocking my XCom world, I always expect to see the usual ones and all of a sudden there is someone I have never seen before! ;D Nice!
Good! I plan to at least double this number, it's easy but really time-consuming.
4. Ufopaedia pics/entries are good, do you have a tool that converts pictures into the XCom pallette files? I so want one...
Not really, I just have all UFO palettes saved and I apply them in Photoshop.
1. CONCEALABLE not CONCELABLE? not sure
Concealable is fine. ;)
2. The HQ facility has no ufopaedia
Oops. I totally forgot. Thanks.
3. The weapons/equipment is totally unsorted, gasp! :D
Hey, it's not true! It's all sorted! Just... not very well, okay? XD
4. There were too many missions happening at the same time (4 or 5!) :o
It's a matter of RNG, sometimes you get nothing for 20 days... But it's an incentive to maintain several teams. It's much more viable than with a Skyranger.
5. The Mudranger has no Ufopedia entry at the start even though you can buy it
I'm still looking for an appropriate picture... Help wanted :)
7. TU costs are too high, It seems you are using the high XPiratez inventory costs, which I loath ;D Really I mean picking up a corpse takes me 20 TUs? Please reconsider! :o
Well I love it, since it prevents gamey moves like dropping your weapon to reload it etc. Picking up stuff is fairly rare, do you have any other problems?
8. Daylight indicator mod is missing :P
Yeah, I forgot about it completely. :P
9. Toxi Suit has wrong Ufopedia pic (yeah i know, alpha)
Thanks, fixed. :P
10. Melee starting stats for rookies are too low. I had several persons with ~20, making anything melee useless. And yes I know, use the GYm etc. :D
Some are at 20, some at 60. Specialists. :)
Again, thanks for all the feedback!
Post by: new_civilian on May 02, 2016, 02:44:32 pm
2. I can imagine that, especially as I am too impatient for something like that in the first place ;D
4. Gonna test that. The only tool that works for me is the old unregistered freeware Aseprite 0.9something, I tried several other tools today, but the user interfaces are.... ooph.
About the mudranger ufopaedia pic: I think Robin/Dioxine are using a nice way of making those: They take a screenshot of the map in mapview so it has automatically the right pallette, then enlarge it and add a background picture. Done. Just take a look at the FtApocalypse Mod or XPiratez's Airbus picture. Awesome.
Oh and I have anice idea for another enemy type, just look for the old british b+w movie X The Unknown...... 8)
hf!
Post by: Diagoras90 on May 02, 2016, 02:46:28 pm
Keep up the good work!
Post by: Hobbes on May 02, 2016, 03:48:13 pm
It's a matter of RNG, sometimes you get nothing for 20 days... But it's an incentive to maintain several teams. It's much more viable than with a Skyranger.
I had a look at the mission scripts and in theory you can have the 30 (or more) extra missions for that month spawning in a single day. The odds are low but the RNG doesn't care about the odds.
Post by: yrizoud on May 02, 2016, 04:02:26 pm
Here's my feedback after playing through the first month :
The "event" system is a great alternative to radar / scouting. I did get 4 missions at the same time, unfortunately.
Seeing agent Coulson on the "Dossiers" made me smile stupidly. Good job creating a bridge between the 90's and the '10s :)
It's not clear if the leather coats reduce stats
You may want to advise "psi training anytime" (I had lots of casualties, )
MIG is buyable from start but unarmed :(
The X-Com van has a not-so-discrete (X) painted on the side ;D
There are almost too many pistols which can be bought from start, it's borderline redundant. More can be found during missions anyway, so I think you could move one to the first unlockable XCOM Report.
"unknown lifeforms" missions are terrifyingly dangerous. It's not rare to start cornered and have a team of 4 killed on the spot, during the first enemy turn. In another, there were so many enemies that the first enemy turn took like 5 minutes, I gave up. It's a mission where the enemies looked like
dark winged things. Hitchcock's 'The birds?'
On the other hand, I once withstood an assault of chu...., killed more than half a dozen, but as they were getting closer and I was running out of ammo, I grabbed a dead one and fleed. It was epic.It's nice that cultist activity missions have lots of melee opponents so it becomes possible to get close and capture them.
Long-range view works perfectly (single-CPU P4 3Ghz here) and help shorten missions, but I miss cover (hedges) and smoke grenades so far. Lots of missions in hilly countryside.
Also, your agents stop on every step when you get closer, it's annoying chasing melee/unarmed enemies.
Post by: Meridian on May 02, 2016, 04:14:42 pm
Also, your agents stop on every step when you get closer, it's annoying chasing melee/unarmed enemies.
Press SHIFT when giving an order and they won't stop.
Post by: ivandogovich on May 02, 2016, 04:41:43 pm
Getting some interest from the /r/xcom reddit. :)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 02, 2016, 04:56:18 pm
About the mudranger ufopaedia pic: I think Robin/Dioxine are using a nice way of making those: They take a screenshot of the map in mapview so it has automatically the right pallette, then enlarge it and add a background picture. Done. Just take a look at the FtApocalypse Mod or XPiratez's Airbus picture. Awesome.
Yeah, I just had the same idea today... But it's not really satisfying. Maybe if I find the right background (it's much easier for planes).
However, I ran into a crush at first month's end, screen attached.
Keep up the good work!
Shit, you're right: I forgot to add this race. Thanks for the info.
Yrizoud, thanks for the review! It's already much better received than I expected. ;)
It's not clear if the leather coats reduce stats
It doesn't reduce stats. Stat reduction is always dosplayed automatically. (But it does weigh a little bit more than the suit.)
You may want to advise "psi training anytime" (I had lots of casualties, )
I don't get this, how did you even start psi training so early? :o
MIG is buyable from start but unarmed :(
Yeah I had to change it in the ruleset from:
Code: [Select]
crafts:
- type: STR_MIG31
requiresBuy:
- STR_MIG31Code: [Select]
crafts:
- type: STR_MIG31
requires:
- STR_MIG31I didn't know about this. Thanks.
The X-Com van has a not-so-discrete (X) painted on the side ;D
Of course! Like all those clearly market boxes in the mail! XD
There are almost too many pistols which can be bought from start, it's borderline redundant. More can be found during missions anyway, so I think you could move one to the first unlockable XCOM Report.
Maybe. I'm still toying with this, since I wanted some choices in the beginning, and all these pistols are for different things.
"unknown lifeforms" missions are terrifyingly dangerous. It's not rare to start cornered and have a team of 4 killed on the spot, during the first enemy turn. In another, there were so many enemies that the first enemy turn took like 5 minutes, I gave up. It's a mission where the enemies looked likedark winged things. Hitchcock's 'The birds?'
Oops. Maybe I'll strike them out from the more crowded missions.
And they're bats, man, BATS!!! (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GoddamnedBats)
On the other hand, I once withstood an assault of chu...., killed more than half a dozen, but as they were getting closer and I was running out of ammo, I grabbed a dead one and fleed. It was epic.
It's nice that cultist activity missions have lots of melee opponents so it becomes possible to get close and capture them.
Oh yes, they're certainly one of the most dangerous creatures. I'm so proud of them :)
Long-range view works perfectly (single-CPU P4 3Ghz here) and help shorten missions, but I miss cover (hedges) and smoke grenades so far. Lots of missions in hilly countryside.
The terrain is pretty much the same as in FMP, but I'll think of some additional blockage in the more open maps.
Press SHIFT when giving an order and they won't stop.
For me it acts as [Next Soldier], with Crtl doing the opposite.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Xcom/comments/4hc3fu/openxcomthe_xcom_files_a_total_conversion_for/
Getting some interest from the /r/xcom reddit. :)
Awesome! Many thanks Ivan. Thanks to all of you, I'm so happy. :)
Post by: Meridian on May 02, 2016, 05:00:26 pm
Press SHIFT when giving an order and they won't stop.
For me it acts as [Next Soldier], with Crtl doing the opposite.
Well yes, it's a bad idea to bind shortcuts to Shift, Alt and Ctrl... I strongly suggest to deassign them in the Controls menu... otherwise there will be conflicts.
Post by: yrizoud on May 02, 2016, 05:15:40 pm
"Psi training anytime" is what lets you put people in the gym when you want. Since a gym facility is available immediately, I thought it was your intent to let the player train agents immediately.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 02, 2016, 06:46:54 pm
Well yes, it's a bad idea to bind shortcuts to Shift, Alt and Ctrl... I strongly suggest to deassign them in the Controls menu... otherwise there will be conflicts.
But it wasn't I who set it like that. :o I thought it was a factory setting...?
"Psi training anytime" is what lets you put people in the gym when you want. Since a gym facility is available immediately, I thought it was your intent to let the player train agents immediately.
Ah yeah, I guess.
Post by: Arctic on May 02, 2016, 07:54:07 pm
- EXALT Network strings are missing (?)
- Kevlar Vest lacks a UFOPaedia description
Anyway, what even IS the MUDRANGER?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 02, 2016, 08:46:48 pm
- EXALT Network strings are missing (?)
Yeah, haven't done them yet. EXALT is a late addition...
- Kevlar Vest lacks a UFOPaedia description
You're right! Fixed.
Anyway, what even IS the MUDRANGER?
Just made the Ufopadia page. See the attachment.
Post by: Hobbes on May 02, 2016, 08:57:32 pm
Just made the Ufopadia page. See the attachment.
Oh, awesome. I was hoping someone would make a Mudranger image for the UFOPaedia, thank you :)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 02, 2016, 09:13:38 pm
Oh, awesome. I was hoping someone would make a Mudranger image for the UFOPaedia, thank you :)
Well in that case, have the image itself. Sharing is caring :)
(dirty Photoshop job...)
Post by: Arctic on May 02, 2016, 09:46:32 pm
Yeah, haven't done them yet. EXALT is a late addition...
You're right! Fixed.
Just made the Ufopadia page. See the attachment.
That actually looks really good - I honestly wouldn't mind if the other vehicles looked like this. It's authentic and resembles the original X-Com UFOPaedia images, and besides that it's easy to churn them out.
Post by: Hobbes on May 02, 2016, 09:58:57 pm
Well in that case, have the image itself. Sharing is caring :)
(dirty Photoshop job...)
I think the version I use is a bit longer but who cares, lol, thank you :)
Post by: Arctic on May 02, 2016, 10:37:09 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 02, 2016, 11:14:52 pm
On another note, I think it would make a lot more sense to say that the Mudranger is an amphibious all-terrain APC, and you drove instead of airdropping it - it would explain why it can carry so many people, why it can go over water, and, crucially, why it has such a short range.
I guess it makes sense. Thanks :)
Post by: Arctic on May 03, 2016, 01:00:55 am
Post by: yrizoud on May 03, 2016, 04:03:52 am
Horrible invasions still happen though :)
I'm in middle of September, and with 4 hangars I just successfully answered 5 simultaneous sightings.
Attached screenshots (paranormal-spoiler-free) :
001: A possibly less visible X-van
002: This door is not a door. Impossible to open it
003: A weird circular radius, visible when you show radar ranges (R key)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 03, 2016, 12:30:32 pm
I'm in middle of September, and with 4 hangars I just successfully answered 5 simultaneous sightings.
Good, that's how you roll! :)
Attached screenshots (paranormal-spoiler-free) :
001: A possibly less visible X-van
Yeah, but it's a bit plain. X-Com always had the logo on their vehicles, so I'm keeping with the tradition. It's not like people will recognize it. :)
002: This door is not a door. Impossible to open it
Ouch. I think I'll change this wall to something that doesn't look like a door. :P
003: A weird circular radius, visible when you show radar ranges (R key)
Ah yeah, I forgot to increase the range to cover the entire globe, thanks.
Post by: Xtendo-com on May 03, 2016, 12:59:11 pm
002: This door is not a door. Impossible to open itIt's may be also a feature like door with broken lock, so you should broke a door. But pathfinding will reveal that fake door.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 03, 2016, 02:12:59 pm
It's may be also a feature like door with broken lock, so you should broke a door. But pathfinding will reveal that fake door.
Yeah, it's too cheap.
I think I'll release a bugfix now, why not.
EDIT: Version 0.1.1 uploaded. I fixed (hopefully) all reported bugs, rebuilt listOrders (for now, only for items; took me half a day) and added a few weapons. Details in the first post.
Post by: yrizoud on May 03, 2016, 03:41:55 pm
My September activity ended up being a 10-12 continuous streak of mostly doable missions. I got 12 wounded agents, and bagged 10 different species (5 alive) 8)
I did catch a single, hmm, "warm" enemy. I was lucky enough to find him in a forest, where his shots go very wild. It was an epic fight, since I had nothing stronger than .45s, and in the end, the majority of the map was gone.
The transport system works extremely well as a gameplay element. The fact that it requires a 2x2 "hangar" is a bit strange, a 1x1 "briefing room" would be more suitable IMO.
One alien lifeforms unlocked the vanilla "alien origins" project, I don't know if it's intended.
My only gripes so far:
Medikit with only 3 heals is really not much. I often expended two full medikits per mission.
Some big research topics do nothing other than unlock more research topics. It's a bit of a downer to gain nothing concrete, no matter how small (hired xenobiologist could have contacts to buy a few things).
The "tone" of some ufopedia characters seems a bit out of character, I rather expected some "serious-sounding" people.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 03, 2016, 04:22:14 pm
Fortunately I had one captured dynamite - I really wanted to question to the locked-up guy.
My September activity ended up being a 10-12 continuous streak of mostly doable missions. I got 12 wounded agents, and bagged 10 different species (5 alive) 8)
You're doing very well. May I ask which difficulty?
I did catch a single, hmm, "warm" enemy. I was lucky enough to find him in a forest, where his shots go very wild. It was an epic fight, since I had nothing stronger than .45s, and in the end, the majority of the map was gone.
I really can't figure out what it was. :) Did it literally breathe fire? If so, then I know. :)
The transport system works extremely well as a gameplay element. The fact that it requires a 2x2 "hangar" is a bit strange, a 1x1 "briefing room" would be more suitable IMO.
That's not really doable at this point, a transporter must be a physical vehicle which needs to have a garage of sorts. And only big garages are possible.
One alien lifeforms unlocked the vanilla "alien origins" project, I don't know if it's intended.
I don't know either. :) Still balancing such things.
My only gripes so far:
Medikit with only 3 heals is really not much. I often expended two full medikits per mission.
As intended, otherwise why research? :)
Some big research topics do nothing other than unlock more research topics. It's a bit of a downer to gain nothing concrete, no matter how small (hired xenobiologist could have contacts to buy a few things).
What things? Seriously, I want ideas.
The "tone" of some ufopedia characters seems a bit out of character, I rather expected some "serious-sounding" people.
But serious people are rarely serious! :) Only idiots who pretend to be serious are serious all the time. :D
No, really. They are professionals, but X-Com attracts weirdos. Just look at the agents' faces...
Post by: Arctic on May 03, 2016, 05:12:42 pm
Post by: ivandogovich on May 03, 2016, 05:43:18 pm
Could always ask to get alternate hangars in OXC.
A long standing request....
Yep, been asked before. I believe one of the challenges is rendering the 1X1 hangar/garage in the Battlescape (and populating the craft into it). My understanding is that current hard coding in the engine sets all hangars/craft holding facitilites has 2X2s.
Maybe a great coder will come along and change that, but I don't think the primary dev team is interested.
Post by: yrizoud on May 03, 2016, 06:05:27 pm
You're doing very well. May I ask which difficulty?The middle one - but after my first catastrophic campaign (20 dead in 2 months) I save often :-[
Did it literally breathe fire?Tracking it in forest and tall grass wasn't a problem :D
Medical equipment : The upgrade does not feel like an upgrade. Since it's one-shot use, you spend a lot of time picking things from pockets to heal a character with 3 wounds, and you can forget about throwing the complete kit around.
About characters : The way I see it, weirdos are dead-serious in their obsession. The funny ones are unententional, they are the ones who don't realize that other people don't share the same passionated opinions :) Ex: "What, you do don't like metal music ? It's because you never heard the right one. You HAVE to listen to this, NOW. So? So?"
By the way, autopsies and interrogations seem to be extremely long. The first time you have a new specimen, you're happy, but by the time the lab can start processing it, you often have faced the same kind several times. In early campaign I tried to catch a corpse or live specimen and flee, even if it cost me one or two agents, but now it really doesn't look like a good trade.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 03, 2016, 06:32:45 pm
If base defense doesn't happen in XCOM Files, no problem of 2x2 hangar + vehicle.
Well it does happen later, but the point is, some people want smaller hangars for various reasons. I'm kinda on the fence here myself.
The middle one - but after my first catastrophic campaign (20 dead in 2 months) I save often :-[
No worries, me too. :P
Medical equipment : The upgrade does not feel like an upgrade. Since it's one-shot use, you spend a lot of time picking things from pockets to heal a character with 3 wounds, and you can forget about throwing the complete kit around.
Yeah, this one's not really an upgrade, more of a complimentary kit. Keep digging :)
About characters : The way I see it, weirdos are dead-serious in their obsession. The funny ones are unententional, they are the ones who don't realize that other people don't share the same passionated opinions :) Ex: "What, you do don't like metal music ? It's because you never heard the right one. You HAVE to listen to this, NOW. So? So?"
Maaaaaybe. But it's just to add some comic relief to the otherwise hardcore mod. :)
By the way, autopsies and interrogations seem to be extremely long. The first time you have a new specimen, you're happy, but by the time the lab can start processing it, you often have faced the same kind several times. In early campaign I tried to catch a corpse or live specimen and flee, even if it cost me one or two agents, but now it really doesn't look like a good trade.
Believe me, it pays off. The research is slow, yes, and I will keep balancing it, but I think it works for now.
Post by: Dioxine on May 03, 2016, 10:28:01 pm
Ex: "What, you do don't like metal music ? It's because you never heard the right one. You HAVE to listen to this, NOW. So? So?"
Doesn't sound like a person who has a sensitive, high-profile job, unless in academia or California maybe :) I'll give you a better example: Putin is quite a joker but wouldn't you call him dead serious? :)
But I think it's mostly movies. Show me a 80's/90's hero who wasn't humorous. Fuckin' Fox Mulder. But even Rambo had silly moments and it was all right with him :)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 03, 2016, 10:33:40 pm
When the Commendations get into the OXCE+ branch, I'll probably spice it up too, since the current ones are so Eaglelandish (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Eagleland) that they make me feel like my eyes are being burned out. :P
Post by: ivandogovich on May 03, 2016, 10:54:11 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 03, 2016, 11:09:41 pm
Not really a fan of those commendations, huh? ???
They're very well done, I just don't really dig the style. Michael Bay could learn from them :)
Post by: Countdown on May 03, 2016, 11:12:14 pm
Not really a fan of those commendations, huh? ???
I'm a fan! But I'm American, so maybe that makes his point?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 03, 2016, 11:16:49 pm
I'm a fan! But I'm American, so maybe that makes his point?
I'm definitely not a US hater, but you do seem to have a tendency for emotional overzealousness over military things. :) (At least judges by US pop culture.)
Anyway, here's a glimpse of a (far) future: Nazi cities on the Moon!
(Of course the pyramids will probably have to go, but maybe aliens will be there too, who knows.)
Post by: Arthanor on May 03, 2016, 11:41:47 pm
I hope Zoey got her space suit ;)
Post by: yrizoud on May 04, 2016, 01:35:41 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 04, 2016, 01:56:50 am
Little quirk : It's possible to get points of "Artifacts recovered" by bringing unresearched weapons into a mission.
Can you please tell me which ones? I'm hunting down remnants of this bug.
Post by: Hobbes on May 04, 2016, 02:31:52 am
Neat! It's like in Hobbes' book!
Nazi UFOs invading from the Moon... what a classic. Too bad Hitler didn't made a reappearance himself ;)
Post by: Blank on May 04, 2016, 10:24:57 am
How come I can't take my dog in the
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 04, 2016, 11:17:11 am
My first mission involved my two agents in suits running away from zombies in the mountains while fetching more ammo from the rental car. Still somehow felt more professional than the average x-com rookie. Died all the same.
Certainly more cinematic than your average vanilla mission :)
Yeah, zombies are dangerous for a two men team. Once you have four, and learn basic tactics to deal with Zombies, it's not a big problem.
How come I can't take my dog in themystery machineX-Com van? I'm guessing it's to stop me fitting a tank in there
Basically, yes. I'm working on it.
Post by: yrizoud on May 04, 2016, 04:06:47 pm
I want to say the pistols compliment each other very well. I often had people dual wield a beretta and a 45, then when agents become very accurate, a rifle / luger combo tends to dominate (accurate at all ranges).
Glock seemed slightly sub-par, because at the ranges where auto-fire is efficient, melee seemed more reliable. And since I never know the armor of strange lifeforms, I really hesitate to depend on low-caliber guns. I did however use it very reliably on cult members.
Post by: new_civilian on May 04, 2016, 05:31:03 pm
Hey wait we are talking about Nazi cities on the moon..... :o Forget realism... :P
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 04, 2016, 05:44:19 pm
In a zombie mission, the score counted 10 killed, 1 captured, 11 corpses ??
Hmm, I'm not sure what happened... I have some ideas, but nothing substantial.
I want to say the pistols compliment each other very well. I often had people dual wield a beretta and a 45, then when agents become very accurate, a rifle / luger combo tends to dominate (accurate at all ranges).
Glock seemed slightly sub-par, because at the ranges where auto-fire is efficient, melee seemed more reliable. And since I never know the armor of strange lifeforms, I really hesitate to depend on low-caliber guns. I did however use it very reliably on cult members.
Glad to hear all that. Congrats on good insight regarding the weapons, this is more or less how it's supposed to work. But I still like Glocks, they have very good rate of fire which compensates for the lower damage per bullet. Most monsters don't have much armour, but "most" can be problematic. :)
The moon texture should be grey. I know that looks a bit boring, but... well it would be realistic then ;D
Yeah, I will experiment with that when the time comes. But it's one of a billion features I want to add, so I'm not even sure which ones will be realized. :P And this one is definitely a distant one, right now I will focus on stuff like the Syndicate (Men in Black wannabes), rogue scientists and elements of TFTD.
Hey wait we are talking about Nazi cities on the moon..... :o Forget realism... :P
What's so unrealistic about it? Given the necessary tech, it's as trivial as the Cydonia base :)
Post by: yrizoud on May 04, 2016, 05:47:08 pm
Can you please tell me which ones? I'm hunting down remnants of this bug.Oh it's actually flares which are not loaded (STR_FLARE_PISTOL_CLIP). STR_FLARE_PISTOL also seems to have 3 recovery points, but it doesn't cause the same behavior (I had it researched)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 04, 2016, 05:50:49 pm
Oh it's actually flares which are not loaded (STR_FLARE_PISTOL_CLIP). STR_FLARE_PISTOL also seems to have 3 recovery points, but it doesn't cause the same behavior (I had it researched)
Got it. Thanks!
Post by: Kjotleik on May 05, 2016, 11:58:11 pm
I must admit that during the first few "start a new campaign" moments, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. And it turns out it is amazing!
I got killed off easily (night missions, flares didn't do me much good) in the jungle with a two-man team.
After I figured out I could get a four-man team with a van, things started to go a little bit better (a later game, I lost the first two/three as I didn't do anything but run around being amazed by the new (very dangerous, at least on superhuman difficulty) and weird Strange Creatures.
Also, I love the fact we have more than just one gun to choose from in the beginning. Having slightly different alternatives makes for good role-play. I could give soldiers their "native" guns, for starters.
Nice idea with the flag, by the way. I hope you get it for all nationalities in the not so distant future. I must admit I like it so much that it is a letdown when I hire a soldier with no flag on the soldier-screen now. :'(
And those...
bats
...are crazy numerous. One of them is too easy to handle, but I experience them just swarming towards the van in such huge numbers, even my four-man squad is unable to take them out quickly enough. I still haven't managed to get one of those corpses back home (I've had to just abort after shooting down three/four in the first few turns).I have only experienced a crash once. Unfortunately, there were no game-crash screen. So I don't know what caused it. And since I haven't been able to reproduce it, I'm in the dark about the reason. Probably not a runtime-error. I think Windows would warn me about that, if it were the case. I'll see if I can make it happen again, but I doubt it.
In short: I die A LOT! ;D
From what I've seen so far... I LOVE THIS MOD! :) ;D 8)
Post by: JeyP on May 13, 2016, 11:41:09 pm
About the mod, beggining is great. Really like "2/4 man team" it's hard to survive and its satisfying when you make it. Smal squad force you to play more carefully and care about your squad members (when you have 12 and more people in normal x-com, rookie meat shield is common tactics :)) This is first time for me in x-com that i care about characters and feel attachment to them, even "roleplay" a littlebit becouse of possibility to choose they nation flag and even appearance. Portraits in tactical missions helps too. Gym ruined first impresion. Becouse i work hard with 4 guys in mission to survive and get exprience/stats increase just to find out that 10 guys in base increased a lot of stats peacefully. Gym (maybe change name for training facility or something less generic) should have 4 spaces (or maybe make two variants with 3 and 6 spaces, something like large living quarters) and train stats a lot slower. For me stats should be trained only in combat so i would change gym for shooting range thats train only shooting accuracy. Don't play OXC/x-com to much becouse it have to simplistic approach to tactical gameplay but i will definitly play full version of this mod. Even in this early state show great attention to details.
Post by: Blank on May 14, 2016, 04:01:12 am
But yeah there's something that feels right about this mod that brings to mind other similar games of the era.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 14, 2016, 11:12:11 am
About the gym, I had my reservations too, it but it is necessary to maintain game balance. Furthermore, it's logical. After all your team consists of pretty random people who are a bit...unpolished despite being government agents. I mean, just look at their mugs! They mostly look like this:
(https://onlifeandstuff.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/je.jpg)
Or this:
(https://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01113/pagent_1113340c.jpg)
Or this:
(https://guardianlv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Melissa-McCarthy-a-CIA-Agent-in-Spy-Trailer-650x366.jpg)
Or this:
(https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/styles/mw_collection_910/public/photos/20141104-menner-mw22-1820-001.jpg?itok=tlNgVIxL)
Certainly not best of the best if you ask me. But they can become these if they just get off their asses and concentrate on their training!
This was done to justify their incredible stat advancement, which wouldn't be possible on already trained people. So I rfeally recommend training everybody rather than dividing your men between the combat team and the training team. Because training is essential.
Having said that, this system will be improved when the code is in place. For now I think it's the best I can do.
As for the colouring countries, this is certainly a good idea, but not really my area of expertise. :D
The next release will take some time, as I need to make some additional armours (god-damn diving suits!) and this is always slow. So please be patient! :)
Post by: JeyP on May 14, 2016, 12:08:48 pm
1) Ther are around 33 blank spaces in flag selection, probably they are waiting for new flags but its always posiblity that this was not intended.
2) To much money at starts and after first month. We are a new organisation but all countries are like "shut up and take my money". But this kind of balance probably bettert to leave for full version of the mod.
I am curious abaut "transition" from x-files to FMP we wil have a super soldiers back then so game could be very easy or we wil have a better aliens from the beggining and it will be still hard? Mod is in rough state so don't want to "waste" time on proper playthrough to check that out.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 14, 2016, 01:09:38 pm
Well i can always don't use gym at all or restric myself to use less spots, no big deal.
Sure. Or if you want you can also regulate how good it is, on a 1 - 100 scale - right now it's at 30%.
1) Ther are around 33 blank spaces in flag selection, probably they are waiting for new flags but its always posiblity that this was not intended.
Yeah, I didn't have the time to address it yet. The number of flags corresponds to the number of name files, so I'm not sure what is different...
2) To much money at starts and after first month. We are a new organisation but all countries are like "shut up and take my money". But this kind of balance probably bettert to leave for full version of the mod.
Yep, this is still to be balanced.
I am curious abaut "transition" from x-files to FMP we wil have a super soldiers back then so game could be very easy or we wil have a better aliens from the beggining and it will be still hard? Mod is in rough state so don't want to "waste" time on proper playthrough to check that out.
I'm curious myself. :) I need testers! :D
Post by: JeyP on May 16, 2016, 12:06:56 am
2) Blackops Smart Gun - no magazines and ufopedia entry.
3) Would be nice to have number of bullets in magazine in ufopedia weapons entries.
4) Starting weapons like Makarov, Tokarev TT-30 can be researched after enemy drop them. Research don't give any new info.
5) Some encounters are imposible to win (Super Human). I'm okay with that but we can always talk about better balance.
6) Hard to stun ? Easiest oponent take 4-5 hits with electric club next one take 8-9 hits.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 16, 2016, 12:45:09 am
1) Mudranger purpose? It's useless, am i missing something?
No, it's actually quite hard to use. You can get lucky and have a mission close enough, and therefore take more people, but it's rare. Still, you can try "abusing" it by keeping it in a base that you know is near something important - should be helpful with HQ raids, for example.
Anyway, the Mudranger is pretty experimental. An upgrade is planned, where it has much better range (after a research).
2) Blackops Smart Gun - no magazines and ufopedia entry.
Yeah... Something's wrong here. I'll investigate.
EDIT: Found the error... One magazine type was missing and it broke the entire Ufopaedia entry.
3) Would be nice to have number of bullets in magazine in ufopedia weapons entries.
Yeah, maybe it can be done automatically somehow... I don't feel like adding it manually. :P
4) Starting weapons like Makarov, Tokarev TT-30 can be researched after enemy drop them. Research don't give any new info.
Yes, their Ufopaedia entry should be unavailable before research. Fixed in next version.
5) Some encounters are imposible to win (Super Human). I'm okay with that but we can always talk about better balance.
Sure, the mod turned out to be hard. No need to go Superhuman to get some adrenaline. ;) But it can be done.
6) Hard to stun ? Easiest oponent take 4-5 hits with electric club next one take 8-9 hits.
That's probably very bad luck, as long as all these hits landed. Sometimes one good hit is enough to down a Black Lotus Follower, sometimes three hits... Hitting them is the problem.
Post by: TheProfessional on May 17, 2016, 01:19:10 pm
*lets out a laugh as my agents enter a "flight" to south Africa, to investigate cult activity*
*gets greeted by 20 green hooded cult members that are running around a warehouse*
*my agents start gunning people down, taking captives is no longer of concern*
*an madman survives two shotgun reaction shots and slays my one agent with an axe*
*I just tell my other agent to run away to extract as he is surrounded, and imagine that he drives them over with the car while fleeing*
10/10 Best mod ever
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 17, 2016, 02:37:55 pm
*starts up mod, face brightens up as i read through the ufopedia entries*
*lets out a laugh as my agents enter a "flight" to south Africa, to investigate cult activity*
*gets greeted by 20 green hooded cult members that are running around a warehouse*
*my agents start gunning people down, taking captives is no longer of concern*
*an madman survives two shotgun reaction shots and slays my one agent with an axe*
*I just tell my other agent to run away to extract as he is surrounded, and imagine that he drives them over with the car while fleeing*
Nice, that's how you're supposed to play this! ;D (In the beginning anyway.)
I'll probably release an update very soon. I don't exactly want to, because I'm halfway through the next arc (Tleth), but there are too many important fixes. The only problem is that you won't be able to finish that "sub-quest" yet.
Post by: yrizoud on May 17, 2016, 03:36:15 pm
Zombies/mutants open up some stuff, but with no facility to manufature (extract), I guess it's unfinished.
So, after 6-7 months, I feel like I'm running out of stuff to do. Missions starts getting repetitive, always the same 4 cults, and the same dozen of strange creatures appearing. No covert operation so far.
Note, some species indicate vulnerabilities, but there's no related weapon (smoke, fire).
In any case, the gameplay with a limited number of agents is really ace. My only critics would be :
- magnum range seems absurdly good. It seems to outclass two-handed weapons like SMG, AK, and even the basic hunting rifle for long-range shooting, and this is counter-intuitive. (I actually unlocked the gun pretty late, when all active agents have 90-100+ accuracy)
- the mechanism of shotguns works very bad with the extended range. The AI keeps shooting even with zero% chance, and I don't think I have ever had an agent wounded by shotgun, ever.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 17, 2016, 04:42:55 pm
I'm not sure what is the intended "scope" of this first episode. Cults have their research/mission tree, but it seems to reach a dead-end.
Well, you can destroy all four cults (except for EXALT, because it's currently bugged). It's pretty difficult, but perfectly doable.
Researching cults will also give new stuff, like "deeper" factions, but it's not there yet.
Zombies/mutants open up some stuff, but with no facility to manufature (extract), I guess it's unfinished.
Correct. This arc is also half-done. The next steps are planned and it'll be epic. :)
So, after 6-7 months, I feel like I'm running out of stuff to do. Missions starts getting repetitive, always the same 4 cults, and the same dozen of strange creatures appearing. No covert operation so far.
Yeah, there's not much diversity now. But bricks are slowly falling in place.
Note, some species indicate vulnerabilities, but there's no related weapon (smoke, fire).
Such weapons generally require second X-Com advance (STR_MILESTONE_2), but sometimes can be found earlier.
- magnum range seems absurdly good. It seems to outclass two-handed weapons like SMG, AK, and even the basic hunting rifle for long-range shooting, and this is counter-intuitive. (I actually unlocked the gun pretty late, when all active agents have 90-100+ accuracy)
I'll think about it. I have very mixed feelings regarding Magnum. :)
- the mechanism of shotguns works very bad with the extended range. The AI keeps shooting even with zero% chance, and I don't think I have ever had an agent wounded by shotgun, ever.
I think it's not as bad, though indeed they rarely hit. But the only thing I can do is removing pellet weapons from their inventories, and that's out of the question. I prefer to accept that sometimes they're not very effective.
Post by: yrizoud on May 17, 2016, 06:19:20 pm
I walked away to a spot, where the chance of pistol snap shots got down -30 (the dropoff is a flat number, not multiplicative).
At such distance, my marksmen's chance got down from 60% to 30% - but the opposite gangers are less accurate, so their chance dropped from, let's say, 40%, to 10%. My effective firepower was halved, but theirs was divided by 4 - and the AI kept shooting instead of rushing my agents, since they were "in plain view".
This let me finish the mission with no dead, though the entire team was wounded (78 days for one agent :o)
Post by: Slaughter on May 23, 2016, 05:01:46 am
A query: Do OpenXcom extended mods need something other than thrown in modfolder > play to work? Because I have been meaning to have fun with this (and PirateZ), but I don't have a PC right now so I'm playing with the Android version.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 23, 2016, 09:01:31 am
A query: Do OpenXcom extended mods need something other than thrown in modfolder > play to work? Because I have been meaning to have fun with this (and PirateZ), but I don't have a PC right now so I'm playing with the Android version.
Apart from the exe you also need the correct version of vanilla Openxcom files, like the rulesets. That's why they are packaged with the mod.
Post by: Slaughter on May 23, 2016, 11:31:37 am
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...
...OOOOOOOOOOOO...
Enviado de meu SM-G3502T usando Tapatalk
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 23, 2016, 12:33:20 pm
So unless someone makes a .exe for the Android version, its a no-go?
Yes, it seems so.
Post by: Xtendo-com on May 23, 2016, 05:47:06 pm
So unless someone makes a .exe for the Android version, its a no-go?I tried to make android version in last weekend using already existing source code of android version, but it was not trivial just to compile a project. Will try again in next weekends.
Post by: Slaughter on May 23, 2016, 07:09:41 pm
I tried to make android version in last weekend using already existing source code of android version, but it was not trivial just to compile a project. Will try again in next weekends.Salute!
You're doing Gollop's work, dude!
Always had ideas of something a lot like this mod.
Anyone try that for piratez and other X-COM Extended mods?
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Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 26, 2016, 09:48:39 am
Always had ideas of something a lot like this mod.
See? Me too! ^_^
Anyone try that for piratez and other X-COM Extended mods?
Piratez use exactly the same .exe as X-Com Files.
Xtendo-com, if you succeed with the android version, I think it'd be best if you contact Meridian - maybe he'll be interested in putting the link in his development thread.
EDIT:
A new version 0.1.2 is up!
- T'leth arc started.
- Added a new Battleship map by Civilian.
- Added a Medical Bag (aka First Aid Kit Lite).
- New Desert and Polar Desert map blocks.
- New spawn points for missions.
- New Nitro Express handob.
- Ufopaedia article on retreating (pic by Henry Ponciano).
- Limited pistols' effective range to counter the increased vision range.
- Changed the profile of Dart Rifle.
- Fixed EXALT hideouts not spawning.
- Fixed a bug with Flare Pistol giving you recovery points every time.
- Fixed some issues with Ufopaedia.
- Revised map selection for most ship types.
- Enviros now depend on item categories, not item lists.
Download link in the first post.
I haven't tackled the problem with transparent walls yet, but I'm making progress. It's a slow job...
Post by: Nord on May 28, 2016, 07:58:01 pm
I tried to make android version in last weekend using already existing source code of android version, but it was not trivial just to compile a project. Will try again in next weekends.You are our(my & my friends) idol now. We will pray for you all day long. ;)
Post by: kazek on May 30, 2016, 07:47:32 pm
First of all sometimes, during cult base attack i got CTD during enemy movement. I noticed, that it was always caused by enemy unit walking on specific tile (for example in deasert base: just below the western stairs).
Some strings are missing (mostly related to EXALT, but also this frog(?) from Dagon church and second milestone).
Blackops Smartgun is availible for purchase from the beginning (but without ammo) and does not have Ufopedia entry.
Sometimes there are two spawned missions in the same spot, for example cult activity and strange life form.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 31, 2016, 11:58:13 am
First of all sometimes, during cult base attack i got CTD during enemy movement. I noticed, that it was always caused by enemy unit walking on specific tile (for example in deasert base: just below the western stairs).
Thanks, that's exactly the kind of critical bug I need to know.
Would it be possible to have a save? Or failing that, at least a screenshot?
Some strings are missing (mostly related to EXALT, but also this frog(?) from Dagon church and second milestone).
Yeah, I'm slowly filling it in.
Blackops Smartgun is availible for purchase from the beginning (but without ammo) and does not have Ufopedia entry.
Thanks, that's a bad problem. But easy to fix. :)
Sometimes there are two spawned missions in the same spot, for example cult activity and strange life form.
That should be extremely rare, but yeah, it can happen. Not much I can do except making a lot more mission points, which is gradually happening.
Post by: Arthanor on May 31, 2016, 03:43:28 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on May 31, 2016, 04:07:19 pm
Maybe the cult is also looking for the life form? Maybe they had captured it and it ran away? It's all in the story you make up! ;)
Actually when the new nightly features are implemented, we can have a three-way between X-Com, cultists and monsters! :)
(Irrelevant, I know.)
Post by: Mr. Quiet on June 01, 2016, 12:17:44 am
Post by: kazek on June 01, 2016, 02:54:27 pm
I found another issue: To destroy EXALT you have to uncover their HQ like in case of other cults. But researching their special unit (EXALT Master) does nothing. I've checked in ruleset, that you need also PSICLONE (i presume it is an item) but it does not spawn on enemies even in EXALT bases.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 01, 2016, 03:37:59 pm
I found another issue: To destroy EXALT you have to uncover their HQ like in case of other cults. But researching their special unit (EXALT Master) does nothing. I've checked in ruleset, that you need also PSICLONE (i presume it is an item) but it does not spawn on enemies even in EXALT bases.
Well... I'll check, but I certainly believe you. That's some serious blunder. The EXALT caused me so many problems. :P
Post by: Slaughter on June 01, 2016, 11:04:05 pm
I was thinking these days it would be cool if there's sorta of a X-COM "0.8" feeling to that period - I'm thinking cold war/post-cold war NATO/Warsaw Pact airplanes and air weapons, choppers for transport, NATO/Warsaw firearms (say, M16, AK74M, etc), prototype tanks, etc. The transition from post-cold war national equipment to X-COM weapons we see in vanilla and FMP.
BTW, am I the only who wants to intercept UFOs with one of these babies? The range would probably be crap, but it can probably outspeed most UFOs for a while. Like a missile that fires missiles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_X-15
Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 01, 2016, 11:50:38 pm
I've checked in ruleset, that you need also PSICLONE (i presume it is an item) but it does not spawn on enemies even in EXALT bases.
Well, I verified this item should spawn on them. It's just not very common.
Didn't play this yet (waiting for the Android port) but I was wondering: How the transition from X-COM files to X-COM itself is handled?
I was thinking these days it would be cool if there's sorta of a X-COM "0.8" feeling to that period - I'm thinking cold war/post-cold war NATO/Warsaw Pact airplanes and air weapons, choppers for transport, NATO/Warsaw firearms (say, M16, AK74M, etc), prototype tanks, etc. The transition from post-cold war national equipment to X-COM weapons we see in vanilla and FMP.
BTW, am I the only who wants to intercept UFOs with one of these babies? The range would probably be crap, but it can probably outspeed most UFOs for a while. Like a missile that fires missiles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_X-15
Actually a lot of this already is or soon will be implemented. Well, there's no X-15... But we have these:
(https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/images/102604/90/1026049077.jpg)
Post by: Slaughter on June 02, 2016, 06:36:16 pm
What's the NATO equivalent - F15E? F22? I think there were a few F22 produced by 1999 or so.
Just struck by a thought - the early game missions may be a lot more, shall I say, "fair" in the sense that alien small UFOs are not outnumbered by the Skyranger's vast number of soldiers (I think the early ships carry somewhere in the neighboor of 6-8 aliens, right?) that allow you to deploy immense firepower by day 1, and they're fighting inferior MiGs and other planes with inferior weaponry, rather than X-COM swatting everything that's not a Large ship from out of the sky with dual avengers.
Post by: Hobbes on June 02, 2016, 07:24:31 pm
Hell yeah Mig-31! Now that is a fine bird!
What's the NATO equivalent - F15E? F22? I think there were a few F22 produced by 1999 or so.
There's no US direct equivalent actually. The MiG-25 was designed as a high speed interceptor to launch long range missiles at US nuclear bombers attacking the URSS, and the MiG-31 is a upgrade to the original design. However both aircraft are not agile and will most likely lose in a dogfight.
The F-15 was designed as an air superiority fighter, designed to gain control of airspace by defeating other fighter planes and capable of carrying both long range missiles and engaging in dogfights. It can be used in an interceptor role (as well as the F-16) but it doesn't have the Mach 2.5+ speed ability of the MiG-25/31. The F-15E was designed to be a multirole aircraft, also capable of ground attack, and the F-22 was also designed for air superiority since it was supposed to be the replacement for the F-15.
The closest to the MiG-25 would be the British Tornado ADV variant, which was designed as an interceptor. Or, in the case of the US, the F-14 Tomcat which was designed to shoot down Soviet bombers before they could attack US carriers with their missiles.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 11, 2016, 12:51:21 pm
(https://i.imgur.com/G7jQ2WF.jpg)
Post by: Slaughter on June 11, 2016, 08:33:37 pm
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Post by: Blank on June 11, 2016, 11:08:43 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 12, 2016, 11:28:20 am
Post by: The Think Tank on June 13, 2016, 11:38:44 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 14, 2016, 02:59:00 pm
So, I downloaded this and attempted to get it to work on my OXE Nightly game (Nightly is quite old, so that may be an issue) but from what I can see it is just Vanilla X-Com at the start with no changes, did I do something wrong here, or is there no new content in the beginning?
Eh? The mod contains the appropriate .exe and everything (well, except for the original UFO files).
Is there something missing?
EDIT:
Version 0.2 released!
Get it here: https://www.mediafire.com/download/cje82aboad1ldah/OpenXcom_XFiles_0.2.zip
I've upgraded the number from 0.1 to 0.2, because I managed to complete the T'leth arc. I'm not saying it won't be altered further, since I still have some esthetic issues with it, but you can play it and complete it. (Hopefully.) I still haven't decided how exactly go about sonic weapons, so they're not enabled for you yet - expect a patch.
Here's the complete list of changes:
- T'leth arc completed (terrains, enemies, items etc.; some beautifying is still in order).
- Implemented Hellrazor's darkened (non-transparent) ship maps.
- Added Dart Pistol.
- Added Enfield Revolver.
- New music for monster hunts.
- No more large swarms of Shadowbats, because it took so damn long for them all to move.
- Some missing strings added.
- Smartgun and Smartifle ammo are no longer available from day 1 (was a bug).
Post by: yrizoud on June 14, 2016, 04:15:02 pm
About practical gains, I don't know, but if XCOM manages to prove an alien threat by bringing back corpses/specimen, this could unlock random pieces of "military-grade" items (grenades, smoke), as they are bringing proof that they are facing something big.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 14, 2016, 04:19:26 pm
I forgot to report : I started a new campaign, and after 3 game months of playing, I have one standing critic : there seems to very little incentive to actually capture live or dead aliens or cultists "as soon as possible". If you heroically recover a corpse or live specimen and abort out of a hopeless situation, it's actually not useful, because the captured stuff will stay in the research queue for months. It's especially disappointing that if you delay lifesaving items (van, bulletproof vest, magnum) for a month to research alien stuff, nothing gets unlocked. There may be bonus score (and thus more money for the next months), but then it would be better to show the score in the ufopedia screen itself - and for non-humans, it had better be a 3-digit number.
About practical gains, I don't know, but if XCOM manages to prove an alien threat by bringing back corpses/specimen, this could unlock random pieces of "military-grade" items (grenades, smoke), as they are bringing proof that they are facing something big.
Thanks for the report. So, does it boil down to the fact that research times for creatures are too long? (Cultists should be fine, they're cheap.)
Unlocking items through researching enemies isn't a bad idea per se, but I have no idea how it would be balanced. I'd rather find another solution, as this would certainly get messy soon.
Post by: The Think Tank on June 14, 2016, 06:58:16 pm
Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated, because this looks like a very fun mod!
Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 14, 2016, 07:12:07 pm
Okay, so I identified my issue, which was just a small error on my part, so nothing to worry about there. Now, I am faced with another issue (on v1.1, updating to v2 to see if that helps) where the entire game crashes after running the geoscape a few seconds after what I can only assume is a UFO detection (I cannot tell because nothing shows up before the game crashes).
Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated, because this looks like a very fun mod!
Thank you!
Can you please send me a save game for that bug? (Assuming you have the time to save it.) If there's a bug, I'd like to fix it ASAP, since I plan to release a minor update soon.
Post by: The Think Tank on June 14, 2016, 10:02:35 pm
Thank you!Most unusual, it seems to work with v2 now, but that you anyway!
Can you please send me a save game for that bug? (Assuming you have the time to save it.) If there's a bug, I'd like to fix it ASAP, since I plan to release a minor update soon.
Post by: yrizoud on June 14, 2016, 10:43:22 pm
So, does it boil down to the fact that research times for creatures are too long? (Cultists should be fine, they're cheap.)I think so. After 3-4 months of playing, I had enough "backlog" projects to research for the rest of the year. Creatures that I captured on the first battle, I could only study 6 months later.
From looking at the 0.2 ruleset, a single scientist (20% of your brain power for the first three months) performing an autopsy takes from 0.3 months to 6 months; studying a live specimen takes 3 months. Actually, even studying a captured baseball bat takes 10 days to write a report "It's a stick. You hit people with it.".
Note, in Openxcom, the more scientists you put on a project, the more you waste when the total is reached and exceeded (ex: 10 scientists, a random 0-9 are wasted, average 4.5) This is the opposite of vanilla, where the entire team will work "a second time for free" when it's reassigned. If the research seems to be a bottleneck, it really entices to split the research, in order to spare a man-day here and there.
By the way, I found the magnum sprite jarring, compared to the other contemporary weapons, so I tried a different drawing, inspired by the snub-nose pistol.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 15, 2016, 03:12:52 pm
As for the research times... yeah, I'll reconsider them. They are there for a reason, but ideas evolve and I guess I'll have to tone it down a little.
EDIT: I reduced all critters' research times across the board by 50-60% (it was usually 90, now it's usually 40). Hopefully it makes things better.
EDIT:
Version 1.2.1 has been released.
Get it here: https://www.mediafire.com/download/rxnvb77ctvju2by/OpenXcom_XFiles_0.2.1.zip
Mostly fixes and changes after feedback. Most notably, you also get access to sonic weapons.
- Enabled sonic weapons use for X-Com and added some related research.
- Reduced creatures research times across the board by 50-60%.
- Added Janissary entries to the Ufopaedia.
- Fixed some listOrders.
Post by: kazek on June 17, 2016, 03:52:32 pm
Soooo... Since we have smartguns, motion trackers, dropships and black chitin aliens using live humans as hosts... Will it be possible to get one of those:
(https://gunfire.pl/pol_pl_Replika-karabinu-M41A-Pulse-Rifle-1152197818_3.jpg)
I would completely pass on plasma and laser guns just to use M41a.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 19, 2016, 01:08:41 am
Obviously it's not a buyable weapon. It's not a BlackOps weapon either, since they make the Assault Rifle or heavier weapons. Besides, I wouldn't want BlackOps to make such "shout out" merchandise, it should be something unique.
I guess we'd need a special mission for these. I plan some rare encounters, we can add it there for research and production.
EDIT: 0.2.2 was uploaded.
- Undersea missions now require researching a submarine.
- New railgun hit animation (by pWWWa).
- Fixed a critical bug which prevented the player from accessing the final mission of the T'Leth arc.
Post by: begri on June 20, 2016, 10:06:07 am
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Post by: Slaughter on June 20, 2016, 10:31:26 am
Its a game about a corrupt ex-cop washing his troubles down with alcohol... which causes him to end up hunted down by the authorities while trying to fight a invasion of aliens and mutants in a small town and solve its mysteries. With sarcastic commentary inside your head, hehehehehe.
Don't be offset by plataformer, a good part of the game is about running around a small city with beautiful graphics, fighting and fleeing from all the enemies and collecting gear in a realistic world.
Might give you ideas. Great game btw. Hard as FUCK tho.
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Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 20, 2016, 11:21:48 am
Can you upload to mega?
I can upload to all the servers in the world, but it wouldn't be very organized, right?
Is Mediafire problematic? Why are you asking?
Hey Solarius, if you want some inspiration: Check out old plataformer Arkritz The Intruder. Cult classic, I think its mostly unknown outside of Brazil and Europe.
(...)
Thanks, I'll check maybe, when I'm done with my current games. I don't have any problems with getting ideas though ;)
Post by: begri on June 21, 2016, 12:05:56 pm
Tooo many weapons is it necessary?
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Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 21, 2016, 02:37:58 pm
Wow it is impressive! I love it.
Thank you! Just wait till it gets better! :)
Tooo many weapons is it necessary?
If it's necessary, then by definition it's not too many.
If it's too many, then by definition it's not necessary.
:P
Post by: Drasnighta on June 21, 2016, 09:56:24 pm
Man, I spent 3 hours last night trying to go through a Black Lotus Cultist base with a Dragonfly, 8 Men with Tactical Armour and LMGs...
...
Three Hours.
Damn Ninjas. The first 2 hours were casualty free, then , despite being in a position which attempted to covered all directions of advance against me... I lost 5 soldiers in 5 turns to a damn Ninja I couldn't see...
Then spent an hour hunting down 4 more of those Ninja that I couldn't see, but I knew were around as my soldiers stopped after every tile of movement.
....Made me wish I had a flamethrower I could just torch vast areas with to flush them out...
Post by: Dioxine on June 25, 2016, 12:44:43 pm
Post by: Drasnighta on June 25, 2016, 06:35:41 pm
I think personally, I'm not a fan of the invisibility mechanic overall... But I put up with it, because without it or a viable alternative, the missions would be too much easier....
It was just, losing 5 men in 5 turns to what I think was a Shruiken armed warrior, was just... GAAAH!
:D
Post by: Slaughter on June 29, 2016, 02:38:06 am
And by "certain vanilla aspects", I'm talking about Psi.
I'm not going to rant at length about how unbalanced it is at the hands of the player, because you of course know that.
But I do find it ludicrous that X-COM learns psi and is using it as well or better than the aliens, in like five minutes, when those aliens had that sort of power for millions of years.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 29, 2016, 12:13:53 pm
Hey Solarius, I remember you saying you had no plans to change certain vanilla aspects in original FMP, but what about here?
And by "certain vanilla aspects", I'm talking about Psi.
I'm not going to rant at length about how unbalanced it is at the hands of the player, because you of course know that.
But I do find it ludicrous that X-COM learns psi and is using it as well or better than the aliens, in like five minutes, when those aliens had that sort of power for millions of years.
No, I am not bound by vanilla compliance as with the FMP. This is exactly why I started this as a separate project: to have more freedom with this kind of stuff.
Nevertheless, I haven't come up with a better psi system yet. I'm open to reasonable suggestions (reasonable meaning, ones that are possible to implement).
Post by: blackwolf on July 09, 2016, 06:29:28 am
btw i dont know if is a bug or is WAD but just starting the campaing and looking the ufopaedia you are able to see the underwater advanced operations(one talking about trident submarine)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 09, 2016, 12:14:30 pm
hi compadre, i have to say im thrilled by the idea of the mod, and at first glance look pretty interesting so imma take a look and enjoy the ride :D.
btw i dont know if is a bug or is WAD but just starting the campaing and looking the ufopaedia you are able to see the underwater advanced operations(one talking about trident submarine)
Thanks! And yeah, sorry, it's a bug. Please ignore it for now, it'll be fixed in the next release.
Post by: blackwolf on July 10, 2016, 10:26:15 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 10, 2016, 11:04:48 am
glad to help. btw another silly bug , in the purchase page, gass cannon bullets (ap and he iirc) are aviable from day 1, just below the small shotgun an small shotgun bullets
Yeah, it's silly... Especially since they aren't supposed to be buyable, ever. :)
Post by: HelmetHair on July 12, 2016, 06:37:22 am
First post in a looooong time.
This mod..Wow. I've been thinking about a mod like this since like 1996. I loved the X-files and X-com and always thought how the two kind of played off of each other. I'm actually really excited about this. I've been playing this mod off and on the last few weeks and love the concept, but there are a few quirks that I know will be ironed out.
I've read the rest of the thread and there are a few things I've thought about while playing. I'll outline them here and reasoning behind them and how I believe they would fit into what you are doing. Now, I've not gotten super far, so if I am missing something because I haven't encountered it please forgive me, and correct me. I'm sure that some of this is old hat, but I'll hope you'll understand that I am very enthusiastic about this mod.... anyways.
1. A flashlight
Yeah, I want a maglite. Adding a touch to light radius would be great and would make me happy and I want to smash a cultist in the face too. I'd be willing to trade light radius for this...you know to increase the paranoia of a night mission :)
2. 1x1 Hanger.
Alright, I say 1x1 hanger but what I really mean is a 1x1 garage. I think of it as a staging area for a particular team so that a team could grab their gear and go using commercial or chartered aircraft etc. the car.... so tiny in this HUGE bay! However, how would this make sense large aircraft? I'm not sure...
3. Replacement of Mudranger with a MI-24 HIND.
just bugs me.... yeah, I know I'm a party pooper. Thoughts?
4. More critters.
Egads more critter types eating folks... soooo good. Creepy. Had a 4 man team drive out to the desert at night once and turned around and faced outward. Moved a few steps out to secure a perimeter and had dudes with Uzis with reaction fire TUs left.
Creepy crawlies
rushed in and ended all of them in a single turn... My guys all shot back with reaction fire, mostly missing and died. It was glorious. It felt like some true X-Files shit.5. Scooby needs to be in the mystery machine :)
I have the gang bouncing out. Shaggy, Freddy, Velma, Daphne...but yeah. Scooby.
6. Slugs for the pump action shotgun.
It would be nice if I could sometime get range with a shotgun, so it would shoot a single projectile. The spread is awful BTW, but you could justify this in game by saying the shotgun has a rifled slug barrel; which in reality turns your pattern to crap when using shot.... but implementation... meh.
7. Subdue kit.
Another one of my wants forever has been a single use item that has a black jack, handcuffs, blindfold and ductape. You know for knocking out a cultist and making them your prisoner... for those smash and grab missions that end up resembling some kind of Waco style craziness like when my two guys roll up at night and then crazy gunfire. One agent was done immediately, and my other agent shot a dude point blank as he tried to bury an axe in her skull I grabbed him and shoved him in the backseat and drove like hell.
8. Gym at anytime
Attrition is high... higher than even the rookies of Xcom have faced. No Cover, No intial way for concealment.... bad news. So yeah, having to wait 29 days to tell a dude to get training because he came in early in the month.... URGH!!!
9. Firing range building.
I'd love something like the gym that focused on firing accuracy ONLY and was expensive to operate and could be enrolled in at anytime.
10. Rifles
seriously....Why can't my quartermaster get M16s and AK47s. Oversight my foot... my quartermaster would be fired for not being able buy something that at the time could be found in an open air market in Somalia for less than a days wages (USD).
11. Kevlar vests.
Same question... but I actually do understand. There is several different levels of body armor available and the amount of protection it provides in real life. Concealable armor makes perfect sense and should be a freebie. I could foresee an oversight in plate carriers yatta yatta but not a simple vest.
Thought?
How can I help you?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 12, 2016, 10:17:24 am
This mod..Wow. I've been thinking about a mod like this since like 1996. I loved the X-files and X-com and always thought how the two kind of played off of each other. I'm actually really excited about this. I've been playing this mod off and on the last few weeks and love the concept, but there are a few quirks that I know will be ironed out.
I'm happy to hear that, and sorry that this mod is in such an early state. ;)
1. A flashlight
Yeah, I want a maglite. Adding a touch to light radius would be great and would make me happy and I want to smash a cultist in the face too. I'd be willing to trade light radius for this...you know to increase the paranoia of a night mission :)
Yes, I would like this as well. :P Maybe someday it'll be possible. A more advanced lighting engine would be nice if it allowed the light to be directional (cone-like).
2. 1x1 Hanger.
Alright, I say 1x1 hanger but what I really mean is a 1x1 garage. I think of it as a staging area for a particular team so that a team could grab their gear and go using commercial or chartered aircraft etc. the car.... so tiny in this HUGE bay! However, how would this make sense large aircraft? I'm not sure...
Yeah, having small hangars for small vehicles has been on my mind since forever. I'd add them if the engine allowed. But I'm also getting feedback that the current system is way cooler, with huge garages and such.
3. Replacement of Mudranger with a MI-24 HIND.
just bugs me.... yeah, I know I'm a party pooper. Thoughts?
Make me a map and we'll see. :P
No, seriously, I want a helicopter. But making it is beyond my current abilities, epsecially time-wise.
4. More critters.
Egads more critter types eating folks... soooo good. Creepy. Had a 4 man team drive out to the desert at night once and turned around and faced outward. Moved a few steps out to secure a perimeter and had dudes with Uzis with reaction fire TUs left. (...) It felt like some true X-Files shit.
Nice! Just as planned. :q
5. Scooby needs to be in the mystery machine :)
I have the gang bouncing out. Shaggy, Freddy, Velma, Daphne...but yeah. Scooby.
Dogs are problematic, or actually tanks in general are problematic, since they shouldn't fit in a car and a dog is technically a HWP. What I could do is make dogs a soldier race, but it leads to all sorts of unintended fun, like all-dogs crew in a car or a dog becoming Commander.
6. Slugs for the pump action shotgun.
It would be nice if I could sometime get range with a shotgun, so it would shoot a single projectile. The spread is awful BTW, but you could justify this in game by saying the shotgun has a rifled slug barrel; which in reality turns your pattern to crap when using shot.... but implementation... meh.
I tihnk all other shotguns have solid projectiles.
7. Subdue kit.
Another one of my wants forever has been a single use item that has a black jack, handcuffs, blindfold and ductape. (...)
You and me, man. But that'd be new mechanics, someone would have to plan and code it, and do it well enough for Meridian to add it to the branch.
Cool story though.
8. Gym at anytime
Attrition is high... higher than even the rookies of Xcom have faced. No Cover, No intial way for concealment.... bad news. So yeah, having to wait 29 days to tell a dude to get training because he came in early in the month.... URGH!!!
Wait, doesn't the psi training at any time cover the gym too? I can't remember.
9. Firing range building.
I'd love something like the gym that focused on firing accuracy ONLY and was expensive to operate and could be enrolled in at anytime.
AFAIK it's planned. I need to wait for the code, but I want it the same way.
10. Rifles
seriously....Why can't my quartermaster get M16s and AK47s. Oversight my foot... my quartermaster would be fired for not being able buy something that at the time could be found in an open air market in Somalia for less than a days wages (USD).
It's not that he can't find it, it's that he has trouble getting the permission from the UN. That's why there's so much trouble with military weapons.
Researching cults (and their suppliers) is a good way to get more dakka.
11. Kevlar vests.
Same question... but I actually do understand. There is several different levels of body armor available and the amount of protection it provides in real life. Concealable armor makes perfect sense and should be a freebie. I could foresee an oversight in plate carriers yatta yatta but not a simple vest.
Oh, you'd be surprised... :P
Fixing it is relatively easy though.
Thought?
How can I help you?
Hmmm... Do you do sprites or maps? :)
Post by: yrizoud on July 12, 2016, 10:39:07 am
It's a "must have" for X-Com files, IMO.
Post by: Dioxine on July 12, 2016, 01:26:01 pm
Post by: HelmetHair on July 12, 2016, 03:44:42 pm
It's not that he can't find it, it's that he has trouble getting the permission from the UN. That's why there's so much trouble with military weapons.
Researching cults (and their suppliers) is a good way to get more dakka.
That's a touch ridiculous... The UN couldn't keep a secret to save their life and is notoriously antigun, you ever seen the statue in New York? Permission is redundant in an international secret organization.
Also, guys like myself have been building guns in their garage since like forever using publicly available plans or reverse engineering. I mean if a few dudes can literally build guns with hand tools squatting in a bicycle shop, cave, or jungle tunnel complex then building them onsite at modest expense in a modern shop is trivial. It also lets you control identifying marks.
Not to mention the fact that this is only 10 years or so after the closing of the U.S. machine-gun registry. Granted they would be expensive, but publicly available. I mean like pick up a newspaper and read the classifieds type of availability; and 100% above board.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 12, 2016, 06:32:30 pm
That's a touch ridiculous... The UN couldn't keep a secret to save their life and is notoriously antigun, you ever seen the statue in New York? Permission is redundant in an international secret organization.
Well, people who funded X-Com beg to differ.
Why? That will be explained more clearly with time. In short, X-Com has many enemies in the UN and the global powers in general; not just alien lackeys, there are many groups who find X-Com to be a thorn in their ass. Blame all inconveniences on them. That's partially why you need to produce solid proofs of alien activity, so that the UN has no choice but to give you more authority.
Also, guys like myself have been building guns in their garage since like forever using publicly available plans or reverse engineering. I mean if a few dudes can literally build guns with hand tools squatting in a bicycle shop, cave, or jungle tunnel complex then building them onsite at modest expense in a modern shop is trivial. It also lets you control identifying marks.
Yes, I never said military weapons are physically hard to attain. (Cultists do it all the time.) X-Com just needs to tread very carefully, for political reasons.
Actually, to overcome it is one of the goals of the game.
Not to mention the fact that this is only 10 years or so after the closing of the U.S. machine-gun registry. Granted they would be expensive, but publicly available. I mean like pick up a newspaper and read the classifieds type of availability; and 100% above board.
I don't really understand how it's related... Why would US policy matter at all here?
EDIT: Regarding portable flashlights, there appears to be a light in the tunnel (pun not intended): https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,3626.msg67092.html#msg67092
Post by: Jblade35 on July 12, 2016, 11:54:06 pm
About the mudranger; I can see why it's so limited since the early game feels balanced towards lower levels of tech and stuff but I think it should at least be able to travel across America. I had it in the centre and couldn't reach the west coast IIRC. The other problem (which I'm sure is more geared towards OpenXcom devs than you) is that there's no simple way of telling if your craft has enough fuel to reach a place or not.
Other than that I'm really enjoying the mod, raiding cultists outposts with body-armour and black market guns feels really damn awesome :)
Post by: HelmetHair on July 13, 2016, 01:33:48 am
Well, people who funded X-Com beg to differ.
Why? That will be explained more clearly with time. In short, X-Com has many enemies in the UN and the global powers in general; not just alien lackeys, there are many groups who find X-Com to be a thorn in their ass. Blame all inconveniences on them. That's partially why you need to produce solid proofs of alien activity, so that the UN has no choice but to give you more authority.
Yes, I never said military weapons are physically hard to attain. (Cultists do it all the time.) X-Com just needs to tread very carefully, for political reasons.
Actually, to overcome it is one of the goals of the game.
Are all of the enemies of Proto X-Com on the security council? Are any? Five major funders are also the five permanent members of the security council... This does not compute. You have an organization that is quite literally on political thin ice, theoretically ignoring the UDHR, but you can't get rifles because of political appeasement... You know I just really thought about how fucked the UN is and this actually made me laugh so hard I cried. Alright.... Ok, I'm onboard.
The sheer confusion of this is actually hilarious because I can see something like that happening. I can see now It's actually brilliant because I've professionally dealt with the half measure ideology that made my eye twitch and that frustration is so real I don't know what else to say. :)
U.S. policy history was for ease of access example for full auto weapons by me following a mental tangent on to a forum board. :o
Now about that flashlight....
O M G.
What kind of sprites and such are you after.
-HH
Edited for clarity?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 13, 2016, 10:44:10 am
I've just started playing this today, I definitely agree it's something special - the very low agent amount at the start of the game has really changed things around a lot as well as all of the other tweaks and changes. I really love the idea of starting from just a car and working your way up from there whilst scrounging up tech and resources. Cultists being melee orientated means I'm more willing to task risks with stun guns and stuff. Those ninjas are a pain in the ass though, right now I have no way to really deal with their throwing knifes.
Thanks!
As for the ninja, yeah, there's no reliable way of dealing with them. You can spread your people to have as many viewing angles as possible, but 2 or 4 are definitely not enough. Spam explosives on suspected areas if you have them. Don't engage them in melee. :)
About the mudranger; I can see why it's so limited since the early game feels balanced towards lower levels of tech and stuff but I think it should at least be able to travel across America. I had it in the centre and couldn't reach the west coast IIRC. The other problem (which I'm sure is more geared towards OpenXcom devs than you) is that there's no simple way of telling if your craft has enough fuel to reach a place or not.
Yeah, the Mudranger is highly experimental. I want to give it a "second stage", where it can be dropped from a plane with better range and speed than the Mudranger itself. But it's not in the game yet.
Are all of the enemies of Proto X-Com on the security council? Are any?
Yes, all of them in fact. But remember that the council are just representatives, they can be influenced by such groups but few of them are actually prominent members of Majestic 12 or whoever is behind all this. So everyone involved has some presence in the Council.
Five major funders are also the five permanent members of the security council... This does not compute. You have an organization that is quite literally on political thin ice, theoretically ignoring the UDHR, but you can't get rifles because of political appeasement... You know I just really thought about how fucked the UN is and this actually made me laugh so hard I cried. Alright.... Ok, I'm onboard.
Well, the entire point of this mod, or at least one of its most important features, is world conspiracy. I'm not trying to recreate reality, but a specific genre: a planet of secrets (just like in The X-Files). And it's pretty standard for the genre that everything, ever is controlled from the shadows.
Of course, the actual possibility of things being like this is... very debatable (conspiracy theories are hilarious, I had no idea they would be). But I think we can go with what I did. Remember that X-Com in its earliest phase is just police. You can't give detectives assault rifles. (Well, maybe you can in some countries, but X-Com is global.) In order to do so, the organization first must gain some leverage to be treated seriously by the Council.
The sheer confusion of this is actually hilarious because I can see something like that happening. I can see now It's actually brilliant because I've professionally dealt with the half measure ideology that made my eye twitch and that frustration is so real I don't know what else to say. :)
I'm sure that would be a good story! :)
What kind of sprites and such are you after.
Mostly, maps. Oh man, making map blocks takes forever. It's fun though, so help appreciated.
EDIT: I guess more explanation on the political background is required in the Ufopaedia.
Post by: yrizoud on July 13, 2016, 06:05:45 pm
Post by: HelmetHair on July 13, 2016, 06:51:32 pm
I really like the idea that X(com)files agents are originally sent to debunk hoaxes and appease hysteric towns, and the chief is stunned when every team comes back with their car trunks full of werewolves, chimeras, and magic gnomes. :o
Right?
"Yeah, Yeah go out to Kansas and find out about these reports of strange lights from stoned teenagers and hikers". **rolls eyes**
4 days layer via phone
"Heya chief we bagged like 4 of these human wolf things... No, they aren't werewolves because we dumped a few mags of FMJs and they died. No magic against a two dozen gut wounds I suppose. So, we skinned one, and Agent Cruz decided to make a coat out of it. Yes Sir, a coat. It's quite striking.
Post by: HelmetHair on July 13, 2016, 06:57:46 pm
I started a new game to fart around and after a few missions I've encountered a fatal error.
Basically I have a mission pop up and if I send a van out to it and try to start the mission I experience a crash.
You want the save state to examine it?
Also,
Have you considered only giving like 750K to start with for money? I mean I had so much money it was outrageous really, basically 2 months worth of income to start and it was a cake walk in terms of cash. I didn't feel any pressure from it at all. With an organization that is supported by surly, unreliable, finicky, chicken-headed mooks. I figured they would basically only drop a dew dollars with a sigh and groan and the selection pressure could be a little steeper IMO.
Thoughts?
-HH
Post by: yrizoud on July 13, 2016, 07:37:00 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 13, 2016, 07:56:40 pm
As for the money... I don't know yet. It's complicated. :P
Post by: Slaughter on July 14, 2016, 09:55:27 am
No, I am not bound by vanilla compliance as with the FMP. This is exactly why I started this as a separate project: to have more freedom with this kind of stuff.I don't think I'm the right guy, but some suggestions to limit psi:
Nevertheless, I haven't come up with a better psi system yet. I'm open to reasonable suggestions (reasonable meaning, ones that are possible to implement).
- Tech-advancement dependant. Early human Psi should be lame compared to the alien psi.
- Resource-based limitations: Psi-Amps require more resources - say, maybe it uses dead psionic bodies to build. Or even living psionic aliens. Maybe its the "ammo" too.
- Human psi is line of sight, alien psi is everywhere. Maybe humans take a while to learn how to open the third eye or something.
- Psi-energy like in X-COM Apoc?
- Aliens have extra psi-powers humans can't use? Telekinesis would be neat.
- Risk-based factor? Think perils of the warp. Or at least a form of hurt or damage to users.
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Post by: Slaughter on July 14, 2016, 09:59:40 am
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Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 14, 2016, 11:44:44 am
I don't think I'm the right guy, but some suggestions to limit psi:
- Tech-advancement dependant. Early human Psi should be lame compared to the alien psi.
Yes, planned to be so, more or less. I'm restricted by the engine, but I'll do my best.
- Resource-based limitations: Psi-Amps require more resources - say, maybe it uses dead psionic bodies to build. Or even living psionic aliens. Maybe its the "ammo" too.
Maybe. I've entertained such idea, but have no clear design yet.
- Human psi is line of sight, alien psi is everywhere. Maybe humans take a while to learn how to open the third eye or something.
Could work, but will be tricky.
- Psi-energy like in X-COM Apoc?
I plan to just use Stamina, since its available.
- Aliens have extra psi-powers humans can't use? Telekinesis would be neat.
Maybe. But seeing how psi works in X-Com, I think making a psi device to produce a particular effect should always be possible.
Doing it without any devices is a different story. :)
- Risk-based factor? Think perils of the warp. Or at least a form of hurt or damage to users.
That would be cool. Not exactly PoTW, more like "the more you influence them, the more they influence you". With actual scientific explanation and such.
Overall, good ideas!
Post by: Jblade35 on July 14, 2016, 12:25:24 pm
I took out the Black Lotus HQ in a bloody suicide assault; I killed everything there without destroying the statue (what can destroy it? a dynamite bundle at its feet didn't scratch it) and won the mission, but after researching the psi device and then the 'destroy black lotus' topic I didn't get anything else afterwards. Do I need to assault the HQ one final time or is it not possible to destroy Black Lotus yet?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 14, 2016, 12:46:05 pm
Just a quick question about taking out a Cult:
No, this should do the trick. No need to destroy the statue, you need to research the special item, which I think you did - otherwise you wouldn't be able to research "destroy the XXX". The cult should stop all activities within a month due to a sudden lack of spiritual guidance.
Post by: Jblade35 on July 14, 2016, 12:52:14 pm
No, this should do the trick. No need to destroy the statue, you need to research the special item, which I think you did - otherwise you wouldn't be able to research "destroy the XXX". The cult should stop all activities within a month due to a sudden lack of spiritual guidance.Ah, so it's within a month then - yeah I don't think it's been that long since I finished the topic, thanks for letting me know. I didn't get any UFOPedia topics or anything like that when I finished the topic though, I'll double check to see if I didn't click past it by accident or something.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 14, 2016, 01:08:24 pm
Ah, so it's within a month then - yeah I don't think it's been that long since I finished the topic, thanks for letting me know. I didn't get any UFOPedia topics or anything like that when I finished the topic though, I'll double check to see if I didn't click past it by accident or something.
Yeah, please do. It's not exactly super-tested, so help is appreciated.
Oh, and congrats on finishing probably the hardest mission ever. :)
Post by: Jblade35 on July 14, 2016, 01:47:41 pm
Yeah, please do. It's not exactly super-tested, so help is appreciated.I'm playing it on easy since I don't get that much time to play so it's not really an earned victory (That and out of the 10 who went in, 2 came out alive) but it was still a lot of fun. Even on this level it really needs thinking on your feet to succeed (I built a temporary base next to it so I could send in the mudranger)
Oh, and congrats on finishing probably the hardest mission ever. :)
Post by: HelmetHair on July 14, 2016, 08:04:58 pm
Well, I goofed and saved over my crash save..... ugh...Sorry.
I'll pay more attention in the future.
-HH
Post by: Dioxine on July 14, 2016, 08:23:35 pm
So 2 Russians, a Chinese and a French appear near New Reno, California to conduct some bizzare investigation on behalf of some obscure UN agency, brandishing assault rifles and bazookas. Do you really think the US govt and local law enforcement would approve of it unless said obscure agency had a great deal of influence? Most countries are quite allergic to foreigners crossing their borders, brandishing guns, especially the members of the Security Council. Even if they fully approve their citizens packing comparable heat.
Post by: Slaughter on July 14, 2016, 09:48:40 pm
No plans for a autofire shotgun? The starting Shotgun in FMP is ok but it is useless due to its bad accuracy and lack of power when the meaner enemies start to appear. Also no autofire capacity.
(https://14544-presscdn-0-64.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/jackhammer_diagram.jpg)
(https://www.google.com.br/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwiK96TUzvPNAhVM4SYKHYLYBSsQjBwIBA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.militaryfactory.com%2Fsmallarms%2Fimgs%2Fmps-aa12.jpg&psig=AFQjCNG0PmIbAY__PPGFXKvsN-ExyR-YyA&ust=1468608296964244)
Imagine a Pancor Jackhammer given a Alien Alloy frame, hmmmm...
Post by: HelmetHair on July 15, 2016, 12:09:57 am
Regarding the availability of guns, here's maybe an educative scenario that'd be more understandable to the inhabitants of planet USA... :)
So 2 Russians, a Chinese and a French appear near New Reno, California to conduct some bizzare investigation on behalf of some obscure UN agency, brandishing assault rifles and bazookas. Do you really think the US govt and local law enforcement would approve of it unless said obscure agency had a great deal of influence?
Eduluacative to the knuckle-dragging Burgergarians of 'murrica land. :)
I understand more and better than you could believe, D.
You have to consider that most of this is happening out in the boonies so any police response is delayed long enough for the police to be irrellevant. You know when second count the police are minutes away... ;D Besides, it isn't a true investigation we experience as players, that happens "off screen" the tactical combat happens "on screen", otherwise how would our agents know where to locate the critters/bad guys exactly? Because, the investigation is already done. I would hope that the agents would be couth enough to keep the visible killing hardware out of sight when talking to a yak farmer in outer Mongolia, but who knows. Not to mention when police hear large amounts of gunfire the first thing the do is wait for it to stop before investigating. ;D
You would never get prior authorization to openly perform any operation like this with ANY guns from, or in ANY sovereignty.... With exception if that agent was authorized to do so by his home country previously... So like if Xcom recruited a former FBI agent that was authorized to carry anywhere, then that would not be invalidated and thus could carry in the U.S. with no issues. Also maybe if Xcom was also registered as a private "security" contractors... but that is a whole nother deal that is relevant, but I don't want to post about it now.
However, extreme exceptions aside... No , and mean I mean like no country would allow foreign nationals in with firearms of ANY sort in a police capacity without a resolution and express invitation, and what developed country would do that? uhhhh NONE! There is NO such thing as a secret UN resolution.
There would never be such authorization which is literally why I was like "lol wut"? The agents are already crossing into a foreign country that may or may not be a member of the UN and kill the absolute dogshit out of citizens of some country or another (cultists). Can you say multiple human rights violations? I can list at least 10 without even sweating. I mean seriously, the half measure ideology is actually so backwards it makes sense...If you have ever worked in any screwed up bureaucracy as I have. :(
.... I digress, moving on!
Xcom could not have enemies on the council for this to really work because this would be such a political hot potato that it wouldn't fly otherwise. Xcom would have to have the support of the council for the overall mission of the project because wrench, revolver, or rifle, you have personnel executing, kidnapping, interrogating, depriving of property, and denying religion of these poor cultists....to say the least. :P
The UN / Council's mental dichotomy is insane, "Yes, violate the shit out of international law and the sovereignty of member nations wholesale. No, you can't have tools to help be sure you don't get caught and by extension prevent me/us from being caught". WTF?!!? Did they have a brain aneurysm before or after their crack binge?
The whole paranoia of "looking for any excuse shut X-Com down" is laughable, because the shooting of a religious extremist coming to public attention is the kiss of death for anyone's diplomatic career (sometimes)....Unless you are uhh Russian, Chinese, or in parts of South America or Africa or 'Murrica :o ...but yeah! I bet they don't talk about Waco or Ruby Ridge in Poland :-\ The tldr is that the Feds came in and killed the shit out basically everyone without talking to local law enforcement. These examples are applicable in that an armed group can and will do what it feels that it should and worry about the consequences later....which there were none really for the officers involved. So in Xcom's case the UN or council could not admit prior knowledge of Xcom's "illegal" activity without exposing themselves, and admitting that there was a secret UN taskforce that violated the law equally endangers the council for the same reason. Catch-22.
Because It would be that way, I hope that those council / UN members involved recognize the damage of public scrutiny. I would hope they realized that they need to take every step to be sure that there are no surviving enemy combatants, which minimizes witnesses; which means having the tools to get the job done and leaving behind the strangest cases of mass suicide. 8)
Also, so what if they are exposed? Big. fucking. deal. The scandal would blow over rather quickly and be credited to rouge elements within the organization and not the totality of the organization itself whereupon the organization would be renamed and continue operations more carefully. Have you ever watched CNN? :-X
Anyways, my point is this. If they have already made the decision to risk it all, why would they bother with arbitrary limitations that increases the chances of them being caught in a scandal? We can think this out a few ways.
1. There is no risk of exposure, then authorization is meaningless. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
2. There is some risk of exposure; It is necessary to maximize success and thus control the number of witnesses. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
3. The organization is publicly exposed; There is no need to be politically sensitive now; rename the organization and see 2. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
4. The organization is operating secretly with complete UN / Council authorization; call Izmash; AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
5. The organization is secret with backers being scared of exposure and won't stop you, but won't help you either. Call Izmash. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
6. The organization is fucking around trying to appease idiotic jackasses who don't realize their idiocy. Ignore them and call Izmash. AKs and RPGs for everyone!
Now, that being said known violations from one country to another that could be potentially embarrassing are often glossed over... I'll give you a few examples Like the form 60, Aralsk-7 incident... The U.S. ignored it; knowing it was a massive bio-weapons treaty violation. Also, The UN didn't talk too much about the fact that literal tons of weaponized anthrax that sat literally without so much as a fence for almost 20 years before they did something about it. It wasn't a secret, but no one really talked about it in public.
Or the fact that Russia could read EVERY U.S. confidential cable transmission and electronic diplomatic transmission and knew about the drug smuggling operations for funding South American friends of the CIA, where known CIA handlers where present and involved and where drugs were sold on America's streets. This could of easily embarrassed the U.S., but Russia remained quiet about it.
In short. It's silly to not have access to common weapons and equipment from the beginning stemming from arguments about authorization or availability.
Do you understand? Do I make my arguments clear? You can wholeheartedly disagree and have ultimate power, but it is important that I be clear.
btw Poland is gorgeous.
-HH
edited because I am a knuckle-dragging burgergarian.
Post by: Slaughter on July 15, 2016, 06:30:15 am
These AKs and RPGs can murder other people as well as aliens and cultists, after all.
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Post by: HelmetHair on July 15, 2016, 07:35:31 am
Many countries might be worried that all these foreign dudes with guns are not JUST X-COM agents...Many (all) countries worry about bad actors, do you try to disarm the bad actors? YES! OF COURSE! However, those bad actors already have the hardware in this instancd.
These AKs and RPGs can murder other people as well as aliens and cultists, after all.
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COULD the tools be used inncorrectly? Yup, Just as a hammer can be used to murder someone, so can a gun can be used to commit the same crime, the two are absolutely parallel and death cults have no oversight as X-com does, the monsters eat people because I guess people are like monster crack or something and are not a political entity...And aliens, their motivations are well... alien.
A police officer in most countries carries a firearm to enforce the law, but is there a push to disarm the police because they could have that weapon robbed from them? Nope, instead there are policies, procedures, and oversight to minimize this while not restricting the availability of the tool used to enforce law. Body chains, adequate numbers of officers in response etc. as examples....
In the same tact, if government is worried about an internationally funded agency whose scope and mandate covers ferreting out death cults, monsters, and aliens, why don't they deal with it themselves? Why would they fund such a group like X-com? Maybe they cannot deal with the threat themselves alone, because if they could then they wouldn't fund X-Com, would they? Thus, if they want the ends they must accept the means.
Now, do you worry about the size of the fire hose when the house is on fire? or let them put it out? or would you care to tell them they can't use the hydrant while the house burns? :)
-HH
Post by: arrakis69ct on July 19, 2016, 02:50:44 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 19, 2016, 10:21:13 am
Would it be different in real life? Yeah, maybe, maybe not. Now, in 2016, things would probably be different. In the 90's, I think it'd be fine. But it's really irrelevant.
Now, regarding development: I started working on another faction, the Cyberweb. It'll be a lot of work, probably more than the entire T'leth arc, so bear with me!
Post by: Slaughter on July 19, 2016, 11:49:18 pm
- "Paradrop" Conditions - missions with restricted equipment and no craft in-map? I think paratroops can't carry the same equip normal soldiers do for weight-space reasons, am I right? I know rifles have para versions. Can you even carry a rocket launcher or LMG on such missions?
I can see those missions happening, pre-Skyranger.
- "Cult Infiltration" mission - get in as cult member, use their weapons and uniform. Then shoot them up, or take prisioners/valuable objects.
- Weapon upgrades-auguments? Say, rifle with bayonet. Or underslug grenade launcher. Extended mags, drums, flashlight, etc. Would probably have a price - more weight, affecting negatively other qualities, etc. Might be too rpg-ish.
- Its a pity its 1999 - "Evil islamic fundie terrorists that actually work for aliens/evil conspiracy" is too modern-day. Hashashin Cult?
- Reptoids in civvie human skin suits in Terror Missions? Not sure how it would be made to work. NuXcom2 did with the Faceless, but that's not as cool as Reptoids.
Wish I could play this. Soon I will have a computer again...
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Post by: ivandogovich on July 20, 2016, 12:47:48 am
Post by: HelmetHair on July 20, 2016, 08:09:35 am
Regarding govt policies concerning X-Com, I will explain again that the mod - or at least a part of it - is based on the conspiracy theories, Illuminati, Majestic 12 and such. Therefore, the world presented in it looks like a typical conspiracy theory reality, using some popular tropes and assumptions.
Would it be different in real life? Yeah, maybe, maybe not. Now, in 2016, things would probably be different. In the 90's, I think it'd be fine. But it's really irrelevant.
Sol,
Of course it will be fine!! More than dandy, actually :)
I can't help it if I'm a tinfoil hat wearing burgergarian who has issues with suspension of disbelief in certain geopolitical and ideological storylines, but that's my problem and NOT yours.
As far as conspiracies...Don't forget Bilderberg, the Phoebus cartel, Bohemian Grove, The trilateral commission, NRO astronaut program (fascinating and true BTW declassified last year), The men who stare at goats (I'm using that as a catch all for all the weird psychic research). There is potential for a ton of fun.
Please keep on keeping on. Seriously, you do great work and have brought MANY enjoyable hours to me.
Some stuff that came into my mind:
- "Paradrop" Conditions - missions with restricted equipment and no craft in-map? I think paratroops can't carry the same equip normal soldiers do for weight-space reasons, am I right? I know rifles have para versions. Can you even carry a rocket launcher or LMG on such missions?
I like this idea, but how do you balance it? Through no extraction? so that it means that a unit must do or die a mission? or only a few that is WAY less than the total can extract via skyhook or something. I don't know, but feel that it should be a tool that has a trade off so that it does not replace the other forms of transportation.
As far a jumping with an LMG or heavy weapons of various flavors, it was done since WWII when it was all steel and wood. Paratroopers jumped with and used mortars, recoilless rifles , rocket launchers and machine guns;both Axis and the Allies. The technology has only got better as time went on, but weight is a big deal... so maybe enforce the 80 item limit :)
You also had idiocy like "leg bags" which tried to overcome this... Holy shitthat was a total failure.
;
- Reptoids in civvie human skin suits in Terror Missions? Not sure how it would be made to work. NuXcom2 did with the Faceless, but that's not as cool as Reptoids.
Yeah buddy... reptillians. What do the UFO folks call them... I forgot. Isn't there several different types?
I also think a prototype chrysalid entity would be a nightmare also.
I have this recurring hell mission going through my head of two agents wandering around ruins and a big nasty eating them Flukeman style. If you haven't seen that particular episode of the X-files... you should watch it.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 20, 2016, 09:10:08 am
- "Paradrop" Conditions - missions with restricted equipment and no craft in-map? I think paratroops can't carry the same equip normal soldiers do for weight-space reasons, am I right? I know rifles have para versions. Can you even carry a rocket launcher or LMG on such missions?
I can see those missions happening, pre-Skyranger.
It's technically doable. But there would have to be a special mission for this and I can't see it happening.
- "Cult Infiltration" mission - get in as cult member, use their weapons and uniform. Then shoot them up, or take prisioners/valuable objects.
Doable and could be fun. :)
- Weapon upgrades-auguments? Say, rifle with bayonet. Or underslug grenade launcher. Extended mags, drums, flashlight, etc. Would probably have a price - more weight, affecting negatively other qualities, etc. Might be too rpg-ish.
Maybe, but it doesn't really fit the mod. It's no X-Piratez. :) You want a different gun, you get a different gun.
- Its a pity its 1999 - "Evil islamic fundie terrorists that actually work for aliens/evil conspiracy" is too modern-day. Hashashin Cult?
I've been thinking about something like this, but a fifth cult would take too much time.
- Reptoids in civvie human skin suits in Terror Missions? Not sure how it would be made to work. NuXcom2 did with the Faceless, but that's not as cool as Reptoids.
Hey, I've been thinking about this. :) Still unsure how it'd work, though.
Post by: HelmetHair on July 26, 2016, 06:43:24 am
see attached.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 26, 2016, 10:13:53 am
Tommy gun has no listed damage, ammo, etc.
see attached.
Yes, it's a bug. Thanks!
Post by: HelmetHair on July 28, 2016, 12:16:13 am
Mission was ending and prompted me that 3 of my agents had fatal wounds. None of the horrible effects of having agents die enroute happened. Haven't seen it in xcom files before or since.
Also, the functional differences between the hunting rifle, nitro rifle, and WA2000 clone need to be tweaked a touch and here is why.
The difference in damage, magazine capacity, accuracy makes the hunting rifle way more dangerous than the nitro rifle, even with the .4 multiplier... which I'm pretty certain is bugged because a dude with 100+ accuracy should be hitting for 70+ damage, but sometimes a ganger will take 4 (!) Nitro rounds like he was getting slapped with a pillow before taking 1-2 more shots to finally die. I've seen this multiple times... it's annoying, and it does not add to the experience. On top of that the severe low capacity of the nitro rifle means more reloading and less shots, less chances to hit. Please, either up the damage, accuracy, or magazine capacity to make it an actual elephant gun... I'd actually settle for 2 shots like it was an H&H .600 double rifle.
Give the hunting rifle a .1 or .2 multiplier as it is probably 7.62x51.
The armadillo 3000 (WA 2000 clone) is supposed to be a genuine upgrade right? Because it splits the difference and isn't really any better... it's supposedly a semi auto, but is only capable of 2 shots a turn because of 35% TUs to snap. Reduction of snap to 33-30% makes it a touch more formidable, also increase magazine capacity. Reduce aimed shot time to 45-55%.Leave it's multiplier alone.
Just my two cents.
Also, I finally decided to play with in game music on. So... music from THE THING.... dig it.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 28, 2016, 12:40:46 am
Encountered some weirdness... don't know.
Mission was ending and prompted me that 3 of my agents had fatal wounds. None of the horrible effects of having agents die enroute happened. Haven't seen it in xcom files before or since.
It is a feature added by Meridian. It warns you if your people are bleeding before the mission ends, so you could heal them if possible.
Also, the functional differences between the hunting rifle, nitro rifle, and WA2000 clone need to be tweaked a touch and here is why.
The difference in damage, magazine capacity, accuracy makes the hunting rifle way more dangerous than the nitro rifle, even with the .4 multiplier... which I'm pretty certain is bugged because a dude with 100+ accuracy should be hitting for 70+ damage, but sometimes a ganger will take 4 (!) Nitro rounds like he was getting slapped with a pillow before taking 1-2 more shots to finally die. I've seen this multiple times... it's annoying, and it does not add to the experience. On top of that the severe low capacity of the nitro rifle means more reloading and less shots, less chances to hit. Please, either up the damage, accuracy, or magazine capacity to make it an actual elephant gun... I'd actually settle for 2 shots like it was an H&H .600 double rifle.
The armadillo 3000 (WA 2000 clone) is supposed to be a genuine upgrade right? Because it splits the difference and isn't really any better... it's supposedly a semi auto, but is only capable of 2 shots a turn because of 35% TUs to snap. Reduction of snap to 33-30% makes it a touch more formidable, also increase magazine capacity. Reduce aimed shot time to 45-55%.Leave it's multiplier alone.
I can't really up Nitro's damage, because the numbers would be going beyond what a man-sized gunpowder weapon could do. You said yourself that in the right hands it is stronger than the Heavy Cannon, without any of the hassle with researching stuff. Something that powerful (potentially) has to have some drawbacks.
About gangers not dropping from Nitro: well, every weapon in the game (apart from explosives) does 0 - 200% its nominal damage. So if you roll really low a few times in a row, you'll get a mildly shaken ganger who only received some glancing hits. From an elephant rifle. It just happens. I have no reason to suspect it is bugged.
I don't really understand why you're saying the Hunting Rifle is so much better. These weapons have different functions and are hard to compare; the Nitro has very good firepower while the Hunting Rifle has range, accuracy, clip size... Virtually everything else. I think they're both useful, but will listen to arguments.
And by Armadillo 3000, do you mean Arasaka 3000? If yes, then no, it's not an upgrade, just another gun. But Dioxine, who beta-tested it for me, liked it a lot for its damage bonus, so it's probably a solid one.
Also, I finally decided to play with in game music on. So... music from THE THING.... dig it.
It was Civilian's idea. :) He requested a The Thing-like mission in the Antarctica... It hasn't been made yet, but I plan to, at some point.
Post by: HelmetHair on July 29, 2016, 05:33:54 am
I don't really understand why you're saying the Hunting Rifle is so much better. These weapons have different functions and are hard to compare; the Nitro has very good firepower while the Hunting Rifle has range, accuracy, clip size... Virtually everything else. I think they're both useful, but will listen to arguments.
I'll explain this without using statistics; then if you want me to use statistical analysis to prove my point I can and will.
They are not that hard to compare.... they are both used to try to put big damage on critters and dudes from long distances.
The hunting rifle is a superior weapon because the volume of fire that it is capable of. In 6 turn average the hunting rifle allows a maximum of 15 shots while the Nitro rifle only allows nine. This is because of the 33% TUs to fire. Meaning that an agent in a good position may fire three times to hit a target, and since most of the time bullets are pillows you need additional chances to do damage. Second, having a guy with 80% FA; which is the median average of my 39 active agents, gives an overlap where the high end of the damage of the hunting rifle (66) overlaps 50% with the low to median range of the nitro rifle (66); but having a tighter overall deviation; thus more consistent performance. It takes hits to do damage, and to get hits you need shots, so volume of accurate shots is the important factor in two weapons with the same accuracy in the same fire mode.
When we can compare the accuracy of the Hunting Rifle to the Nitro Rifle in aimed fire.
Okay, so aimed accuracy aimed is favors the hunting rifle because 125% accuracy vs 105%. In our average of 80 FA this nets 100 total accuracy and if you add in kneeling and you have an average where a guy can drill just about anything on the map, and if in a pinch can rapid fire off up to three shots. Where the Nitro rifle CAN ONLY EVER DO A MAXIMUM OF 2 SHOTS PER TURN and has an arbitrarily low accuracy when used in aimed shot... despite the fact that in reality Nitro Express Rifles are just as accurate and often more so as any production rifle because they usually machined lovingly by their manufacturers who only survive by reputation of quality alone.
And what it boils down to is if you can't hit, then you can't do damage and most guys don't have the firing accuracy in aimed to make it effective as with the Nitro Rifle because it doesn't provide the support it intends, and actually acts more like how a shotgun with slugs should rather than a high end smoke pole....It's a club pretending to be a scalpel. If it basically requires 25% more Firing accuracy on the part of the Agent to see the benefit of over the hunting rifle because of RNG, while outright sacrificing volume of fire means it's not as good.
Put dirt simple... Half the time the Hunting rifle does as much damage as the Nitro Express Rifle but you can shoot it 3 times a turn and it has a higher capacity and is more accurate when necessary.
I can't really up Nitro's damage, because the numbers would be going beyond what a man-sized gunpowder weapon could do. You said yourself that in the right hands it is stronger than the Heavy Cannon, without any of the hassle with researching stuff. Something that powerful (potentially) has to have some drawbacks.
No, I didn't. There a heavy cannon I can pick up? nope. Also, THE NITRO RIFLE DOES REQUIRE RESEARCH TO OBTAIN!!! Also, did I say that it should have no drawbacks? Nope, in fact I mentioned including one. The art and behavior and Pedia entries point towards something like a Rigby in .416 or .458. There are larger....considering that .50BMG is less than half of the power :) But seriously .600 or .700 NE exist and blow huge holes in huge animals. Upping the damage and reduce the magazine capacity by one isn't clear. Here is what I meant to write :P
Change the multiplier and damage to consistently give higher damage than the hunting rifle while still making accuracy of the agent using it matter.
About gangers not dropping from Nitro: well, every weapon in the game (apart from explosives) does 0 - 200% its nominal damage. So if you roll really low a few times in a row, you'll get a mildly shaken ganger who only received some glancing hits. From an elephant rifle. It just happens. I have no reason to suspect it is bugged.
If you have 4 agents shoot a guy 8 FUCKING times with a Nitro Rifle and he says "HEHEHE, PILLOW FIGHT!!!" and then smokes 2 agents despite the fact he added 180+ grams of steel to his diet... You are right, it isn't bugged.... it is FUCKING BROKEN.
And by Armadillo 3000, do you mean Arasaka 3000? If yes, then no, it's not an upgrade, just another gun. But Dioxine, who beta-tested it for me, liked it a lot for its damage bonus, so it's probably a solid one.
Okay... It's a second hand adaptation of a rifle that was designed and built to be a semi-automatic 'sniper' rifle taking advantage of a few "new" concepts. First, being a bullpup so that a longer barrel could be incorporated without adding overall length thus more velocity because of a more completely contained combustion, which nets more velocity, and thus "greater" accuracy at range by flater trajectory. The center of mass of the rifle is closer to the body for more control and has a decent magazine size to allow 1 man to be a serious force multiplier through volume of accurate fire.
I called it the armadillo because like an armadillo it has leprosy. IT'S ARISAKA and NOT ARASAKA... but fuck it... Whatever you call it, it is accurate, it has decent damage, but it's TU costs reflect a bolt action rifle rather than a semi auto and there were no 15 round magazines for the real series of Walther rifles... only 5, and unused 10... but this is not a hard thing to do in practicality so meh.... but YET AGAIN the hunting rifle beats it because of the fact it can perform 3 shots a turn and it does not do as much damage as the Nitro rifle and has a smaller multiplier and cannot keep up with the volume of fire. It doesn't suffer the issue that the hunting rifle does of "slow" reload, but still yet it cannot keep up with the rate of fire of the hunting rifile, although it is more accurate.
So, it might hit more often, the fact that it requires .35% TUs means less shots, less hits, and averaged out the hunting rifle will do more damage.... in snap. Aimed clearly falls to the Armadillo for accuracy but not in utility.
Was I clear?
-HH
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 29, 2016, 09:42:32 am
They are not that hard to compare.... they are both used to try to put big damage on critters and dudes from long distances.
The hunting rifle is a superior weapon because the volume of fire that it is capable of. In 6 turn average the hunting rifle allows a maximum of 15 shots while the Nitro rifle only allows nine. This is because of the 33% TUs to fire. Meaning that an agent in a good position may fire three times to hit a target, and since most of the time bullets are pillows you need additional chances to do damage. Second, having a guy with 80% FA; which is the median average of my 39 active agents, gives an overlap where the high end of the damage of the hunting rifle (66) overlaps 50% with the low to median range of the nitro rifle (66); but having a tighter overall deviation; thus more consistent performance. It takes hits to do damage, and to get hits you need shots, so volume of accurate shots is the important factor in two weapons with the same accuracy in the same fire mode.
When we can compare the accuracy of the Hunting Rifle to the Nitro Rifle in aimed fire.
Okay, so aimed accuracy aimed is favors the hunting rifle because 125% accuracy vs 105%. In our average of 80 FA this nets 100 total accuracy and if you add in kneeling and you have an average where a guy can drill just about anything on the map, and if in a pinch can rapid fire off up to three shots. Where the Nitro rifle CAN ONLY EVER DO A MAXIMUM OF 2 SHOTS PER TURN and has an arbitrarily low accuracy when used in aimed shot... despite the fact that in reality Nitro Express Rifles are just as accurate and often more so as any production rifle because they usually machined lovingly by their manufacturers who only survive by reputation of quality alone.
And what it boils down to is if you can't hit, then you can't do damage and most guys don't have the firing accuracy in aimed to make it effective as with the Nitro Rifle because it doesn't provide the support it intends, and actually acts more like how a shotgun with slugs should rather than a high end smoke pole....It's a club pretending to be a scalpel. If it basically requires 25% more Firing accuracy on the part of the Agent to see the benefit of over the hunting rifle because of RNG, while outright sacrificing volume of fire means it's not as good.
Going with this line of argumentation, the best weapon is the Uzi at point blank. So many bullets mean so much damage per turn, right?
Look, what is better when facing an alien: one that has better DPS (even if accuracy is accounted for), or one that can drop the enemy before they drop you?
Put dirt simple... Half the time the Hunting rifle does as much damage as the Nitro Express Rifle but you can shoot it 3 times a turn and it has a higher capacity and is more accurate when necessary.
Look, I'm not saying Nitro is better. I'm just saying it's different. If it suits your style better, by all means, use it. But some people will prefer the Nitro. That's how it's supposed to be.
No, I didn't. There a heavy cannon I can pick up? nope. Also, THE NITRO RIFLE DOES REQUIRE RESEARCH TO OBTAIN!!!
Can you write a bit louder? I'm not sure you were heard across all the boards. :P
Yeah, there is some research involved, but it's pretty trivial compared to advanced heavy weapons. Even the Hunting Rifle requires research!
Also, did I say that it should have no drawbacks? Nope, in fact I mentioned including one. The art and behavior and Pedia entries point towards something like a Rigby in .416 or .458. There are larger....considering that .50BMG is less than half of the power :) But seriously .600 or .700 NE exist and blow huge holes in huge animals. Upping the damage and reduce the magazine capacity by one isn't clear. Here is what I meant to write :P
Change the multiplier and damage to consistently give higher damage than the hunting rifle while still making accuracy of the agent using it matter.
OK, what numbers do you have in mind?
If you have 4 agents shoot a guy 8 FUCKING times with a Nitro Rifle and he says "HEHEHE, PILLOW FIGHT!!!" and then smokes 2 agents despite the fact he added 180+ grams of steel to his diet... You are right, it isn't bugged.... it is FUCKING BROKEN.
Bring it up with Warboy, or Julian Gollop. I'm sure they'll be responsive to your constructive criticism of the core game mechanics. Just use enough expletives so they know it is serious business.
Honestly, I've explained how the mechanics work already. Do I need to explain it again?
I called it the armadillo because like an armadillo it has leprosy. IT'S ARISAKA and NOT ARASAKA...
No, the company is called Arasaka and has always been:
(https://datafortress2020.com/conflictsa/bq0typns.jpg)
but fuck it... Whatever you call it, it is accurate, it has decent damage, but it's TU costs reflect a bolt action rifle rather than a semi auto and there were no 15 round magazines for the real series of Walther rifles... only 5, and unused 10... but this is not a hard thing to do in practicality so meh.... but YET AGAIN the hunting rifle beats it because of the fact it can perform 3 shots a turn and it does not do as much damage as the Nitro rifle and has a smaller multiplier and cannot keep up with the volume of fire. It doesn't suffer the issue that the hunting rifle does of "slow" reload, but still yet it cannot keep up with the rate of fire of the hunting rifile, although it is more accurate.
So, it might hit more often, the fact that it requires .35% TUs means less shots, less hits, and averaged out the hunting rifle will do more damage.... in snap. Aimed clearly falls to the Armadillo for accuracy but not in utility.
Was I clear?
Yes, but what are you trying to say? Is it good? Bad?
Post by: HelmetHair on July 29, 2016, 06:07:55 pm
Going with this line of argumentation, the best weapon is the Uzi at point blank. So many bullets mean so much damage per turn, right?
No, because the uzi does not have the accuracy to compete. If it had 70% Aim to snap it could contend, but it doesn't, so the uzi is almost useless beyond point blank and you know it. ;) Besides didn't I write accurate a few times? Don't try to dismiss my point, because you never considered it yourself. The projected damage of the Uzi in snap beats the hunting rifle if and only if all shots had a reasonable chance at hitting. But because shooting and dealing damage are two separate events such that both must be successful, the Uzi is a turd by comparison.
Look, what is better when facing an alien: one that has better DPS (even if accuracy is accounted for), or one that can drop the enemy before they drop you?
The two are synonymous. Bad guys get turned into dead guys by taking damage which in turn relies on two separate events that cannot be separated. Can does not imply reliably. Which is why the hunting rifle is better. It is more accurate when aimed at range with a feature that gives it additional chances to kill bad guys and based on numbers does the same damage as the Nitro rifle half the time.
Look, I'm not saying Nitro is better. I'm just saying it's different. If it suits your style better, by all means, use it. But some people will prefer the Nitro. That's how it's supposed to be.
You tried to and then could not come up with a suitable response to refute my argument and then tried to strawman me with an UZI? ;D This sounds like an episode of supernatural.... We need scarecrows ,SOL!
If you want to see all of my data, I can and will provide it to you.
Can you write a bit louder? I'm not sure you were heard across all the boards. :P
Yes, as knuckle dragging Southern Burgergarian... I assure you, I can ALWAYS be louder.
OK, what numbers do you have in mind?
50 base and .25 multiplier. Snap at 45% TUs with 75% ACC. Aimed at 80%TUs with 120% accuracy. Increase mag by 1 for a total of 4 shots. Mag weight to 5
Still preserves the nature of the beast. Improves the accuracy to make it more usable while aimed and ups the initial probable damage without blowing the top off it so it still equals the same eventually, but is better initially. Mag plus one gives 1 additional shot for the 6 turn average.
Bring it up with Warboy, or Julian Gollop. I'm sure they'll be responsive to your constructive criticism of the core game mechanics. Just use enough expletives so they know it is serious business.
Honestly, I've explained how the mechanics work already. Do I need to explain it again?
No, because the damage formula from the first game was changed to the second because they saw how ridiculous it was, then it was bugged (broken). That's what I was implying, but the joke didn't come across very well... :-\ Blame my lack of education, redneck inbreeding or obesity.
Because: UFO: 0-200% for firearms
TFTD: 50-150% for firearms
and I can't blame Julian because he fixed his mistake... and what would Warboy say??
Warboy would say something like "It's a mechanic of the original game. We are not here to change anything related to the core of the original gameplay".
:)
No, the company is called Arasaka and has always been:
Those Shogunate posers are standing on the graves of TRUE innovators whose same-sound name and reputation was usurped for their shriveled Philip K. Dick that is doomed to fail. ARISAKA! Where's the Black Lace? ;)
Yes, but what are you trying to say? Is it good? Bad?
It is not bad at all, but doesn't reflect what it is.... a semi-auto high precision insturment tweaked by a megacorp to smash.
here is what I suggest...
A3K
Snap @ 32% TUs and 80% ACC
AIM @ 60% TUs and 125% ACC
Leave the magsize alone....
But increase damage to 33 and leave the multipler at .20
now to cut the nuts off the Hunting rifle!
HR
Snap at 35% TUs and ACC at 70%
Aimed at 60% TUs and ACC of 115
Decrease damage to 30
Take it easy,
-HH
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 30, 2016, 12:25:29 am
You tried to and then could not come up with a suitable response to refute my argument and then tried to strawman me with an UZI? ;D This sounds like an episode of supernatural.... We need scarecrows ,SOL!
It's... Well, I never really understood what you wanted. You kept writing down info, I kept reading them and thinking, "well, yeah, and?"
50 base and .25 multiplier. Snap at 45% TUs with 75% ACC. Aimed at 80%TUs with 120% accuracy. Increase mag by 1 for a total of 4 shots. Mag weight to 5
A reasonably well-trained soldier, not an ace, has firing accuracy, say, 80 (max 120). At 80 accuracy, you get +20 bonus, so the total would be 70. You know what has 70 damage? Heavy Cannon with alien alloy ammo. Or a Gauss Rifle. With insanely good aim.
I really don't know how to say it any clearer. This is not a good idea.
No, because the damage formula from the first game was changed to the second because they saw how ridiculous it was, then it was bugged (broken).
I really won't discuss such "arguments".
In my opinion, the 50-150% formula sucks. It takes away so much fun. You may disagree, but calling it "broken" is an insult to reason.
and I can't blame Julian because he fixed his mistake... and what would Warboy say??
Julian did nothing, as he wasn't involved with TFTD at all.
That's not really a point, I changed many of his decisions. It's just trivia.
Warboy would say something like "It's a mechanic of the original game. We are not here to change anything related to the core of the original gameplay".
:)
Yeah, that's the point of the remake. Of course I as a modder can change this can't of stuff. But I don't want to.
Bottom line: I can discuss fine-tuning. But I'm not willing to throw everything out the window to replace my arbitrary scale with some other arbitrary scale. Because mine is tied to the vanilla and also 9even more) to the Piratez, where many of these weapons originated. I don't want to break this frame and I don't see a reason to.
Those Shogunate posers are standing on the graves of TRUE innovators whose same-sound name and reputation was usurped for their shriveled Philip K. Dick that is doomed to fail. ARISAKA! Where's the Black Lace? ;)
Well, as much as I like Dick, I'd say Arasaka is a way more recognizable name. To be honest, despite having read many Dick's books, I can't remember this Arisaka company. And everyone in my generation who has played RPGs know what Arasaka is (Barett Arasaka is something nearly every single Cyberpunk character ever used :P ), so I made a little homage.
It is not bad at all, but doesn't reflect what it is.... a semi-auto high precision insturment tweaked by a megacorp to smash.
Sorry, but what are you basing what this is on? But okay, let's roll with it.
here is what I suggest...
A3K
Snap @ 32% TUs and 80% ACC
AIM @ 60% TUs and 125% ACC
Leave the magsize alone....
But increase damage to 33 and leave the multipler at .20
So a little faster, a little less accurate... OK, but why?
And 33 is a tad too strong when compared to like 50 other weapons, from both X-Com Files and Piratez. Its calibre doesn't justify that. (The accuracy bonus is already stretching it.)
But I agree it would make it more deadly in AI's hands, even without the damage buff.
now to cut the nuts off the Hunting rifle!
HR
Snap at 35% TUs and ACC at 70%
Aimed at 60% TUs and ACC of 115
Decrease damage to 30
Take it easy,
-HH
To be honest I don't really care either way. It's just a slightly different weapon. We could even have both.
Post by: Dioxine on July 30, 2016, 01:54:19 am
You have to consider that most of this is happening out in the boonies so any police response is delayed long enough for the police to be irrellevant. [...]. Not to mention when police hear large amounts of gunfire the first thing the do is wait for it to stop before investigating. ;D
This is a description of how it goes down in a country that is unable to assert its own sovereignity over its territories. Might be true for S. America, Africa or Bulgaria, but certainly not for the US, China or Russia. Before helpless and always late police, there is a MiG-31 (or its equivalent) taking down your ride like a bitch. And several other responses to airspace violation.
You would never get prior authorization to openly perform any operation like this with ANY guns from, or in ANY sovereignty....
You do. UN Peacekeepers, OSCE - rings a bell?
With exception if that agent was authorized to do so by his home country previously... So like if Xcom recruited a former FBI agent that was authorized to carry anywhere, then that would not be invalidated and thus could carry in the U.S. with no issues. Also maybe if Xcom was also registered as a private "security" contractors... but that is a whole nother deal that is relevant, but I don't want to post about it now.
This would mean X-Com is a terrorist organization - that's what you describe. Again, works against weak countries, but ends in a war when tried to be effected against a strong country (wars in Chechenia, Syria, Donbass).
I don't adress the point that internal license carries over - it's beyond the point here.
However, extreme exceptions aside... No , and mean I mean like no country would allow foreign nationals in with firearms of ANY sort in a police capacity without a resolution and express invitation, and what developed country would do that? uhhhh NONE! There is NO such thing as a secret UN resolution.
There would never be such authorization which is literally why I was like "lol wut"? The agents are already crossing into a foreign country that may or may not be a member of the UN and kill the absolute dogshit out of citizens of some country or another (cultists). Can you say multiple human rights violations? I can list at least 10 without even sweating. I mean seriously, the half measure ideology is actually so backwards it makes sense...If you have ever worked in any screwed up bureaucracy as I have. :(
Well, the aliens came - remember? - and there well could be one. That's the game changer here. It is possible that the reason was that it was impossible to tell if the aliens haven't already infiltrated and subdued one of the major govts. Such a situation has 2 solutions: nuclear war or some sort of hated-by-everyone agreement like this one.
Xcom could not have enemies on the council for this to really work because this would be such a political hot potato that it wouldn't fly otherwise. Xcom would have to have the support of the council for the overall mission of the project because wrench, revolver, or rifle, you have personnel executing, kidnapping, interrogating, depriving of property, and denying religion of these poor cultists....to say the least. :P
So what's new under the sun? If the powers that be said these people are enemies of humanity, such lofty rights no longer apply. Remember that any 'UN' agreement of this callibre would in reality be an agreement between few strongest countries on the planet, hence not bound by UN rules, if they get in the way. Remember Chechoslovakia 1938? Turkey 2016? Human rights and things like that can be suspended in the case of higher urgency (or convenience).
The UN / Council's mental dichotomy is insane, "Yes, violate the shit out of international law and the sovereignty of member nations wholesale. No, you can't have tools to help be sure you don't get caught and by extension prevent me/us from being caught". WTF?!!? Did they have a brain aneurysm before or after their crack binge?
'Don't get caught mode' - that's your assertion. I see no compelling argument that rules out some sort of mutual agreement. Infiltration can be effected by the target country. Arguments for not using RPGs are a) secrecy. No one wants the whole thing to get public, remeber? b) some factions of the country in question want the operation to fail.
The whole paranoia of "looking for any excuse shut X-Com down" is laughable, because the shooting of a religious extremist coming to public attention is the kiss of death for anyone's diplomatic career (sometimes)....Unless you are uhh Russian, Chinese, or in parts of South America or Africa or 'Murrica :o ...but yeah! I bet they don't talk about Waco or Ruby Ridge in Poland :-\
What's with these internal police operations that completely got out of control? What does it have to do with international affairs?
which there were none really for the officers involved. So in Xcom's case the UN or council could not admit prior knowledge of Xcom's "illegal" activity without exposing themselves, and admitting that there was a secret UN taskforce that violated the law equally endangers the council for the same reason. Catch-22.
It's a task force sent by a potentially hostile country, which you MUST admit in none the less. Not your OWN task force. You will be all to happy to see them fail and have a pretext for your own military to move in and seize the activity site. Why do you think crashed UFOs dissappear? I think it's some sort of a proof.
Because It would be that way, I hope that those council / UN members involved recognize the damage of public scrutiny. I would hope they realized that they need to take every step to be sure that there are no surviving enemy combatants, which minimizes witnesses; which means having the tools to get the job done and leaving behind the strangest cases of mass suicide. 8)
Mass disappearance, you mean. This point is adressed above.
Also, so what if they are exposed? Big. fucking. deal. The scandal would blow over rather quickly and be credited to rouge elements within the organization and not the totality of the organization itself whereupon the organization would be renamed and continue operations more carefully. Have you ever watched CNN? :-X
They don't risk exposure. They risk being deemed a wrong idea, and making signataries to dissolve the treaty that created X-Com. The whole scenario here is, 'aliens came and UN council agreed to form X-Com', remember? If X-Com fails, we go to the previous option (>towards nuclear war).
Anyways, my point is this. If they have already made the decision to risk it all, why would they bother with arbitrary limitations that increases the chances of them being caught in a scandal? We can think this out a few ways.
1. There is no risk of exposure, then authorization is meaningless. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
2. There is some risk of exposure; It is necessary to maximize success and thus control the number of witnesses. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
3. The organization is publicly exposed; There is no need to be politically sensitive now; rename the organization and see 2. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
4. The organization is operating secretly with complete UN / Council authorization; call Izmash; AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
5. The organization is secret with backers being scared of exposure and won't stop you, but won't help you either. Call Izmash. AKs and RPGs for everyone!!!
6. The organization is fucking around trying to appease idiotic jackasses who don't realize their idiocy. Ignore them and call Izmash. AKs and RPGs for everyone!
Due to above, all wrong. Here:
7) The organization is operating secretly with reluctant approval of backer countries. They want it to succeed, because we live on a single planet; they want it to fail, since every major country would rather have everything for itself.
Now, that being said known violations from one country to another that could be potentially embarrassing are often glossed over... I'll give you a few examples Like the form 60, Aralsk-7 incident... [...]
Or the fact that Russia could read EVERY U.S. confidential cable transmission and electronic diplomatic transmission and knew about the drug smuggling operations for funding South American friends of the CIA, where known CIA handlers where present and involved and where drugs were sold on America's streets. This could of easily embarrassed the U.S., but Russia remained quiet about it.
Because if they started to escalate like this - exposing everything - they would be an international drunkard with an axe? Revealing such things is a direct attack on an opposing country; overusing it, aliens or no aliens, leads to option 1 (nuclear war).
In short. It's silly to not have access to common weapons and equipment from the beginning stemming from arguments about authorization or availability.
Do you understand? Do I make my arguments clear? You can wholeheartedly disagree and have ultimate power, but it is important that I be clear.
Very clearly you don't take the alien factor, and nuclear war factor, into consideration. You cannot do so on a planet with nuclear superpowers and alien invasion.
btw Poland is gorgeous.
Whatever did you really mean by that, good or bad, twice the same to you.
Post by: HelmetHair on July 30, 2016, 07:32:52 am
I don't think you understand that I'm speaking of the time before open alien intervention. Otherwise, I think you would use different arguments. If this is not the case, then we'll continue along this track and sort it out at the end. Just let me know.
Poland is gorgeous. I spent some time basically camping, drinking and hiking through your national park system as a teenager...it was glorious.
Have a great day,
HH
Post by: Slaughter on July 31, 2016, 11:23:38 am
So, while I was munching on some biscuits, I thought about new ways of making the player suffer, some ideas I always I could implement.
Here's what I got in mind:
- Give Dodge to Floaters, sorta like the remake? Alternatively, make them fly as fast as they "walk" (I may be wrong, but I think hovering uses more TUs than walking).
- Give Reapers the ability to "walk" into the scenery, allowing them to attack you through walls, for example.
- No idea what to give Sectoids. Maybe in the mid-game from then on they come in "Pectoid" (like Xcom2) varieties with Mechtoid support? One psionic in every vessel instead of just in Terror Missions and such?
- I always thought the Snakemen were the lamest of all aliens. Sectoids have telepathy, Floaters fly, Snakemen... uh, Chrysalids are their terror troops? They're pretty much "uh, we're middle-game aliens with middle-game stats." So here's an idea: UFOPaedia tells us that Snakemen are very efficient reproducers. Bring that ability into the game! Have them keep laying eggs during missions, creating "Snakemen Hatchlings" or some unit like that, some mini-snakeman with a built-in attack (say, venomous spit. Also, makes Hazmat more useful!). Something weak, but could be hell if left alone to fester.
I'm thinking this would make the Snakemen the "breeder" aliens that punish camping. It also provides a nice contrast with the Chrysalids - Snakemen breed by themselves and punish campers, Chrysalids need civvies or X-COM to increase their numbers, and punish those who advance wrongly or fail to save civilians from them. This could also make Snakemen Terror a new level of terror - choose between rushing to avoid the Snakemen Apocalypse, or camp to avoid being swarmed by the Chrysalid Apocalypse?
- Reptoids regenerate. Failed to kill that Reptoid? It will heal soon.
Need to think of ways the player could be hurt strategically by the aliens, hmm...
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 31, 2016, 11:41:53 am
I got a computer once again! Once I get some free time, I'm gonna have lots of fun with this mod! Playing FMP in the meanwhile, its fantastic!
Thanks!
It's still a baby, but it already has teeth.
So, while I was munching on some biscuits, I thought about new ways of making the player suffer, some ideas I always I could implement.
Here's what I got in mind:
- Give Dodge to Floaters, sorta like the remake? Alternatively, make them fly as fast as they "walk" (I may be wrong, but I think hovering uses more TUs than walking).
Frankly I haven't worked on the aliens in regards to dodging yet. It only works against melee anyway.
And no, hovering doesn't take more TUs.
- Give Reapers the ability to "walk" into the scenery, allowing them to attack you through walls, for example.
...and how would I do this?
- No idea what to give Sectoids. Maybe in the mid-game from then on they come in "Pectoid" (like Xcom2) varieties with Mechtoid support? One psionic in every vessel instead of just in Terror Missions and such?
I think they're fine just as they are. They do get some special weapons though (mostly spamming Elerium Bombs).
- I always thought the Snakemen were the lamest of all aliens. Sectoids have telepathy, Floaters fly, Snakemen... uh, Chrysalids are their terror troops? They're pretty much "uh, we're middle-game aliens with middle-game stats." So here's an idea: UFOPaedia tells us that Snakemen are very efficient reproducers. Bring that ability into the game! Have them keep laying eggs during missions, creating "Snakemen Hatchlings" or some unit like that, some mini-snakeman with a built-in attack (say, venomous spit. Also, makes Hazmat more useful!). Something weak, but could be hell if left alone to fester.
I'm thinking this would make the Snakemen the "breeder" aliens that punish camping. It also provides a nice contrast with the Chrysalids - Snakemen breed by themselves and punish campers, Chrysalids need civvies or X-COM to increase their numbers, and punish those who advance wrongly or fail to save civilians from them. This could also make Snakemen Terror a new level of terror - choose between rushing to avoid the Snakemen Apocalypse, or camp to avoid being swarmed by the Chrysalid Apocalypse?
Again, how do you do this sort of thing?
Anyway, what would a Snakeman baby do? Crawl towards you menacingly while begging for small invertebrates to feed on?
- Reptoids regenerate. Failed to kill that Reptoid? It will heal soon.
Reptoids aren't in the mod yet, and I assure you they'll be quite interesting. A hint: they are not aliens.
Post by: Slaughter on August 01, 2016, 06:47:07 am
Quote
Thanks!
It's still a baby, but it already has teeth.
Quote
Frankly I haven't worked on the aliens in regards to dodging yet. It only works against melee anyway.
And no, hovering doesn't take more TUs.
Only melee? Damn. Still sounds like a evil ability to give to an alien.
It doesn't? My eyes must be fooling me.
Quote
...and how would I do this?
You know, that's a good question. May be impossible.
Another alternative would be just making Reapers tougher and their AI bolder. They're quite weak and lame.
Quote
I think they're fine just as they are. They do get some special weapons though (mostly spamming Elerium Bombs).
Quote
Again, how do you do this sort of thing?
Anyway, what would a Snakeman baby do? Crawl towards you menacingly while begging for small invertebrates to feed on?
Maybe they perfected begging into the next level of weapon, it makes your soldiers suicide or berserk. ;D And that's why the Snakemen are R strategists
Hey, Hyperworms could be literally teared from the guts of their mother, and yet just hearing them triggered me faster than you can say "THE BLIGHT IS APPROACHING" in a female voice out of a computer savant.
I thought about giving Snakemen Hatchlings a short-range venomous spit attack. Fatal-ish to unarmored troops, dangerous to vests, annoying to personal armor, a bother to early tanks, insignificant to Power Armor/Hazmat. Possibly with a armor-eroding effect, to make them dangerous even later on in significant amounts. They should be quite weak and one shot from any normal weapon should be enough to kill them. In fact, maybe armor-eroding should be their real attack, because that means they complement Chrysalids and Snakemen better - Snakes kill your soldiers with more ease, Chrysalids don't lose warm bodies that could be used for impregnation instead.
(if you want to be extra evil, have the hatchlings pick up and eat dead bodies and turn into something tougher. Because what Chrysalids don't impregnate, the snakes eat. Also, there goes your gear lol)
Maybe every Snakeman carries eggs on inventory, and eggs "hatch" as new snakemen hatchlings during the alien turn (with full TU, as per Chrysalids/Spitters). The eggs are objects so you can pick them up (I'm thinking they won't hatch if you do, like Brainsucker eggs in Apoc), or destroy them with explosives, or a cheap "Destroy" use action.
Alternatively, every start of a alien turn, a Snakeman "lays" a egg (no TU spent - its a free action unique to them) before moving on its patrol.
Now how many Snakemen would be able to lay eggs and at which rate, let me look at the maths:
1 egg per turn, every turn, all snakes:
Small Scout (8 crew):
Turn 1: 0 Hatchlings
Turn 2: 8 hatchlings
Turn 3: 16 hatchlings
of course the player is probably killing Snakes every turn, but... uh, doesn't work.
Setup 2: 1 egg per turn, laid every two turns, all snakes:
Small Scout (8 crew):
Human Turn 1: No eggs no hatchlings.
Alien Turn 1: 0 Hatchlings, 8 eggs (from now all turns are alien turns for simplicity)
Turn 2: 8 hatchlings (minus any killed by player), no eggs
Turn 3: 8 hatchlings minus any killed, 8 minus X killed Snakemen eggs
Turn 4: 16 hatchling minus any killed previously, 0 eggs.
Turn 5: 16 hatchling minus any killed previously, 8 minus X killed Snakemen eggs
Turn 6: 24 hatchlings minus X killed, 0 eggs.
Setup 3: 1 egg per turn, every three turns:
Human Turn 1: 8 Snakes, 0 eggs.
Alien Turn 1: 8 - X Snakes, 8 - X eggs laid
Alien Turn 2: 8 - X Snakes, 8 - X eggs still laid
Alien Turn 3: 8 - X Snakes, 8 - Y hatchlings.
Alien Turn 4: 8 - X Snakes, 8 - Y hatchlings, 8 - X eggs.
Alien Turn 5: 8 - X Snakes, 8 - Y hatchlings, 8 - X eggs
Alien Turn 6: 8 - X Snakes, (8 - Y hatchlings) + (8 - x eggs = 8 - y Hatchlings).
With Snakemen Terror, let's say there's 18 Snakes 6 Chrysalids (they don't matter to the calculation, tho):
18 - X (where X is DEAD) hatchlings by turn 3, 36 - X by turn 6... hmmm, this is problematic.
Let me try a slower rate, I'm not very good at math:
Small Scout with 8 snakes:
0 eggs or hatchlings by Human Turn 1, 8 eggs by Alien Turn 1, same, same, 8 hatchlings, 8 hatchlings and 8 eggs, same, same, 16 hatchlings, 16 hatchlings and 8 eggs, same, same, 24 hatchlings by turn 12.
Terror Ship with 18 snakes
0 eggs or hatchlings by Human Turn 1, 18 eggs by AT1, same, same, 18 hatchlings 0 eggs, 18 hatchlings and 18 eggs, same, same, 36 hatchlings... hmmm...
Trying new hatchlings every five turns:
Turn 5: 8 or 18
Turn 10: 16 or 36
Turn 15: 24 or 54
Turn 20: 32 or 72
Of course, the problem here is that not even the greatest of mathematics can calculate how many Snakemen and laid eggs a X-COM player kills per turn (personally, I win missions before turn 3, because I am the best. ;) ).
Also, it might lead to new tactics or situations, from bringing extra ammo to bringing hazmat, knives and swords to wade through the hatchling hordes.
The simpler situation is to go the Hyperworm route and have a lot of Snakemen hatchlings come out of dead Megaworms/Snakemen. The obvious problem is that is easily exploitable (and tiresome), just have a guy with HE munitions standing by.
Poor Snakemen do come off as the suckiest aliens, when by comparison:
- Sectoids have psionics and those hellish reactions
- Floaters fly
- Mutons are tough
- Ethereals are all psionic.
Quote
Reptoids aren't in the mod yet, and I assure you they'll be quite interesting. A hint: they are not aliens.
The British Royal Family? ;D
And I got the "not alien" from the autopsy in my game.
Personally I'm betting on Gillman descendants/offshoots. I always thought a lot more could have been done with the poor Gillies, as they are a species defeated by alien invasion - I once had this story idea for a "Last Days of the Gillmen" story, where we see their society before T'Leth falls, then its effects. The Gillmen polities ("Schools", as in fish schools?) create a X-COM equivalent, as civilization falls, their race dies in cold, hunger and conflict between themselves and the new alien invader, their leaders sell themselves out in drooves to the Aquatoid aliens and their world cools down into a nuclear winter snowball.
Post by: kazek on August 01, 2016, 01:49:17 pm
Also I don't know, whether it is intentional or not, but now after researching BlackOps Smartguns are not availible for purchase.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 01, 2016, 05:19:40 pm
Another alternative would be just making Reapers tougher and their AI bolder. They're quite weak and lame.
Yes, I can do this. Namely increase their Aggression stat. I'm not sure how exactly it'd work, it would need some testing.
Maybe they perfected begging into the next level of weapon, it makes your soldiers suicide or berserk. ;D
Psionic Snakemen babies? You, sir, are scaring me! :D
I thought about giving Snakemen Hatchlings a short-range venomous spit attack. Fatal-ish to unarmored (...)
It's a very interesting concept. Unfortunately, there's nothing in the engine that would allow laying eggs. If it ever happens, we can discuss the details.
The British Royal Family? ;D
And I got the "not alien" from the autopsy in my game.
Yeah, but their actual arc isn't in the game yet.
And Gillmen are interesting indeed. They're not related to the Reptoids though - Reps have their own agenda, and they like neither Ethereals not T'leth.
Well I'm stuck again. I can't get this damn PSICLONE no matter what. I've completed like five EXALT base missions, tens of hideouts and activities and still nothing. I even added it to every single EXALT unit in alienDeployments_XCOMFILES.rul and still not even one spawned anywhere.
OK, I'll test this. From the ruleset it should work, but if it doesn't, I'll fix it.
Also I don't know, whether it is intentional or not, but now after researching BlackOps Smartguns are not availible for purchase.
I'll check this too, I remember something wasn't right with Smartpistols in the released version.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 01, 2016, 11:06:13 pm
STR_Moneybag when selling the moneybag appears. No biggy.
I have however realized something, I'm not sure if it is a feature or a bug actually. So using a van or car I discovered something. I've started Fewer bases, more teams, more hangars. I've started salting teams around the world way pointing them from continent to continent. My poor agents are sometimes spending upwards 30-40 days in the field waiting for a mission, flying around the world and living in a fetid van full of unwashed body odor, empty cigarette packs and coffee cups.... poor bastards.
So having 12-15 teams in the air at a time is pretty efficient really. My guys still gain stats from being at the gym. After a mission I transfer craft to the nearest base for resupply and crew rotation before shoving them back out into the world. My reaction time is a touch less <48 hours anywhere in the world, and <24 that in most places. I'm about to add another 20 agents, 2-3 teams as about 10-15% of my agents are wounded usually. So I need to know. Me using vans like this, clever or cheating?
The only thing I'm really having issues with is generations of equipment. You know issuing new gear to folks. where I have to roll through each van piecemeal....its tedious but whatever.
I swear I'm not stalking you, but I read you were thinking of adding a few mission types?
Are you open to some ideas there?
Oh! and when can we expect an update...no rush you understand, just curious.
-HH
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 02, 2016, 12:17:17 am
Sol,
STR_Moneybag when selling the moneybag appears. No biggy.
Yeah, my bad. Will be fixed in the next release.
I have however realized something, I'm not sure if it is a feature or a bug actually. So using a van or car I discovered something. I've started Fewer bases, more teams, more hangars. I've started salting teams around the world way pointing them from continent to continent. My poor agents are sometimes spending upwards 30-40 days in the field waiting for a mission, flying around the world and living in a fetid van full of unwashed body odor, empty cigarette packs and coffee cups.... poor bastards.
So having 12-15 teams in the air at a time is pretty efficient really. My guys still gain stats from being at the gym. After a mission I transfer craft to the nearest base for resupply and crew rotation before shoving them back out into the world. My reaction time is a touch less <48 hours anywhere in the world, and <24 that in most places. I'm about to add another 20 agents, 2-3 teams as about 10-15% of my agents are wounded usually. So I need to know. Me using vans like this, clever or cheating?
I don't think it's cheating, you're just using your agents as you see fit. This is between you, them and the employment standards violation office. :)
Of course you can't train them if they're in the field all the time, but you know that.
But I don't think it's necessary, most if not all missions last long enough for you to reach them. And if you target a mission (not a landed UFO) with a vehicle, it won't disappear - that's how the engine works.
The only thing I'm really having issues with is generations of equipment. You know issuing new gear to folks. where I have to roll through each van piecemeal....its tedious but whatever.
Sadly, it's unavoidable. It's either this or dumbing down the game. I hope it's not too bad.
I swear I'm not stalking you, but I read you were thinking of adding a few mission types?
A few? You mean dozens! :)
Are you open to some ideas there?
Sure, but 1) my list is already long, 2) I can't guarantee any ideas will get in. Even if they're good, I need to keep stuff balanced, both in terms of gameplay and story.
Oh! and when can we expect an update...no rush you understand, just curious.
Not very soon, since I'm making a new faction and it'll take ages. Unless I release a fix or something, since there are some non-critical bugs like missing strings.
Also I don't know, whether it is intentional or not, but now after researching BlackOps Smartguns are not availible for purchase.
Can you please elaborate on what you have researched? Maybe you could give me a save? Because I can't see what's wrong...
Well I'm stuck again. I can't get this damn PSICLONE no matter what.
CRAP! You are right, they are not spawned, even though they should. Apparently battleType: 9 is ignored on AI units.
Looks like I'll have to release a fix after all...
Post by: kazek on August 02, 2016, 01:05:43 am
Thanks, good to know. Those bastards costed me so much nerves. I'll be more than happy to raid them.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 02, 2016, 01:19:43 am
Researching Contact BlakOps grants us posibility to buy few new weapons, including Assult rifle and CAWS. Smartgun is not among them. I'll send You a save tomorrow.
No need, I now understand your issue. In order to buy smart weapons, you must first discover they exist. BlackOps won't tell you about them, since it's exclusive merchandise for customers who are more important than X-Com. But if you find a smart weapon and press them about it, they'll admit they produce them and from now on will sell them to you.
So in other words, you must find a smart weapon on the battlefield. At the moment only the Men in Black use them (it'll change though).
EDIT:
Update!
https://www.mediafire.com/download/esb2mpaq52a0hyd/OpenXcom_XFiles_0.2.3.zip
- Electro-Flares now work underwater.
- Fixed a problem with Psiclone not appearing.
- Fixed a problem with Underwater Operations showing up in the Ufopaedia too early.
- Some tweaks to vanilla alien resistances.
- Made Chryssalids more aggressive.
- Added Skorpion SMG.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 02, 2016, 04:51:39 am
STR_EXALT_UFOPEDIA... doh!
Yeah, I actually have a very long pipeline process for agents. It's expensive, but worthwhile. It goes like this and I even use little symbols to help me along.
1. Initial Hire batch
2. Hard Sort (Factor total attributes and take the top 70% average of all attribute candidates and min bravery 20 bravery ) (meat)
3. Enroll in Gym for 2-3 months with no field work until most attributes decent to great (Rookie junior grade)
4. 3-5 missions on a team paired with 1 senior officer, 1 mid grade officer, 2 rookies Rookie senior grade
5. Team formation of proven agents are then assigned to a permanent team of their peers being rotated out or replaced by attrition or merit.
I'm operating 20, 4 man teams right now with a total of 97 agents. I have no other craft than vans and am waiting to consolidate them into better transports.
I have 12 regular squads named after real ferocious animals
Teams: Lion, Crocodile , wolverine, Puma, Shark, Boar, Shrew, Snake, Goshhawk, Eagle, and Wolf.
4 veteran squads named after mythological creatures.
Teams: Basilisk, Manticore , Dragon, and Minotaur
3 squads of training Cadre named after ancient dictator and generals
Cincinnatus, Hannibal, Scipio
1 Squad of the most elite who have survived crazy missions, have 65+ kills, and are called only when they are not training rookies and every motherfucker in the room HAS TO DIE. Named after NEGATIVE emotions
Team: Wrath
This is the process for forming a standard team or squad. Beyond that their are special squads about a rate of 1 to 4 of veteran to standard squads. These are the real door kickers or pinch hitters. Who you call in for the missions you know are really going to suck.
It hasn't gone well for anyone or anything against team wrath...
-HH
Post by: kazek on August 02, 2016, 01:56:58 pm
EDIT: Also two smaller issues: High explosives are not availible for purchase after resarching Milestone 2 (although Ufopedia says it should be), and menu related to Commendations (diary in base and medals after mission) have weird colors.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 02, 2016, 02:08:11 pm
Man I hate to be this guy again, but I found another glitch with my favourite EXALT. Reseaching their HQ works fine, but the Ufopedia entry causes CTD. Code 0xc000005.
No worries, I'm sorry, this goddamn EXALT has already caused me way more trouble than anything else. I'll fix it.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 03, 2016, 06:36:33 am
Ain't it just like Exalt to crap in everyone's punch bowl.... :)
And
I've kind of found myself at an impasse as to how to proceed. Dealing with the Black Lotus... I don't have access to transport for more men to give myself a real shot and the ninjas... ugh. I'm so over the silly invisible tards. I can't buy explosives and anything more than a hit and run on a base mission is suicide at least with the BL . Suggestions? Even eye laser shooty lady isn't as silly as ninjas.
Why is the M16 classified as having a slow reload?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 03, 2016, 08:40:59 am
What was missing:
Code: [Select]
- type: STR_EXALT_HQ
bigSprite: 299
weight: 0
invWidth: 2
invHeight: 3
I've kind of found myself at an impasse as to how to proceed. Dealing with the Black Lotus... I don't have access to transport for more men to give myself a real shot and the ninjas... ugh. I'm so over the silly invisible tards. I can't buy explosives and anything more than a hit and run on a base mission is suicide at least with the BL . Suggestions? Even eye laser shooty lady isn't as silly as ninjas.
If you don't want to wait for a bigger transport, you could build a new base in the Black Lotus region and use Mudranger from there. I know at least two people who did it successfully.
Why is the M16 classified as having a slow reload?
I'll check :)
Post by: kazek on August 03, 2016, 03:07:55 pm
Anyway I just fought one of the most epic battles ever in Xcom. Having allready Dragonfly and standard military equipement I've stumbled upon MiB terrorising some city. They had better gear, but my soldiers had better training (I suppose). Trying to get rid f their tanks I had to tear down half of the city. When situation seemed to be under control all of a suden a freaking Sectopod walked out of the storage.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 03, 2016, 06:33:03 pm
Also, bases disappear after an unsuccessful mission.... that's annoying. Is a base going to be there long enough for me to build a base when one reappears?
Also, why does the double barrel shotgun have fast reload?
Edited because I'm an idiot
-HH
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 03, 2016, 06:41:53 pm
Anyone else got this color glitch? Because frankly only after this release Commendation worked for me so maybe it is something on my side.
Anyway I just fought one of the most epic battles ever in Xcom. Having allready Dragonfly and standard military equipement I've stumbled upon MiB terrorising some city. They had better gear, but my soldiers had better training (I suppose). Trying to get rid f their tanks I had to tear down half of the city. When situation seemed to be under control all of a suden a freaking Sectopod walked out of the storage.
Wow.
You must be pretty deep in the campaign. Would you mind sending me a save? I'm just curious what you have by this point.
How can I wait for bigger transport when I must capture dudes to tor..I mean...interrogate for information to build such craft?
*whistling*
:D
Also, bases disappear after an unsuccessful mission.... that's annoying. Is a base going to be there long enough for me to build a base when one reappears?
No, sadly I can't really do that. You need to wait until it reappears. But it's usually in a consistent location.
Also, why does the double barrel shotgun have fast reload?
Because Doom. 8)
Post by: HelmetHair on August 03, 2016, 07:36:35 pm
Because Doom. 8)
As good an answer as any...
I've noticed some of the flavor text is incomplete.... no bigge.
Also, there are some copy editing issues, nothing major but they exist. Also some ambiguity with some of the biological concepts discussed in certain autopsies and reports. I happen to be a very educated person with background in biology and noticed it... do you want me to provide suggestions or keep my mouth shut?
-HH
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 03, 2016, 07:50:06 pm
I've noticed some of the flavor text is incomplete.... no bigge.
Yeah, it's all very much still in production.
Also, there are some copy editing issues, nothing major but they exist. Also some ambiguity with some of the biological concepts discussed in certain autopsies and reports. I happen to be a very educated person with background in biology and noticed it... do you want me to provide suggestions or keep my mouth shut?
Sure!
But remember there is very little space for text in Ufopaedia.
Post by: kazek on August 03, 2016, 08:38:23 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 05, 2016, 10:46:47 am
In other news, I am currently working on a new arc, the 'Cyberweb arc'. In this continuity, the Cyberweb is a loose criminal organization of scientists who managed to secure some extraterrestrial technology and made very good use of it. They are pursuing knowledge, doing dangerous experiments and doing Black Mesa stuff, but on small scale. They use robotic soldiers, experimental energy weapons (crude but powerful) and cybernetic augmentations. They also normally live in very small groups in underground vaults.
Post by: kazek on August 05, 2016, 11:54:50 pm
Also a quick report. After knocking out
Brainer
in EXALT HQ (I HATE THOSE F*&%$@S!!!!!!!)I got something like this:Quote
OpenXcom has crashed: Invalid surface set 'EXALT_BRAINER.PCK for armor 'EXALT_BRAINER_ARMOR': not enoght frames
And also a small question. Is it a pure coincidence or the Xenologist on purpose looks like one respected expert?
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/e0/8a/be/e08abe33e06a8417779f8e12b58b0b83.jpg)
Post by: HelmetHair on August 06, 2016, 02:23:48 am
I have tons of live zombies from missions and I want their corpses.
HH
Post by: nadir-1648 on August 06, 2016, 04:49:55 am
Is there a feature where you can kill live enemies in containment?Right click the alien containment facility in the base screen to bring up the alien containment management dialogue. There you can
I have tons of live zombies from missions and I want their corpses.
HH
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 06, 2016, 11:35:17 am
Sounds neat. But chronologilcally (after a starting new game) where it would be placed? Before, during or after cult arc?
After, but they will somewhat overlap. This faction will be somewhat related to one of the cult factions, so you will need to get pretty far with that cult faction to discover these guys.
Also a quick report. After knocking outBrainerin EXALT HQ (I HATE THOSE F*&%$@S!!!!!!!)I got something like this:
Ouch. Worked for me, but there could be something that broke with the newest version of the .exe. I admit there was a dirty hack regarding this unit, but it never gave me trouble before.
You don't happen to have a save, do you?
And also a small question. Is it a pure coincidence or the Xenologist on purpose looks like one respected expert?
Not consciously, but it's a brilliant idea!
EDIT:
Yeah, the Brainer's entry in armors_XCOMFILES.rul, under EXALT_BRAINER_ARMOR, lacked:
Code: [Select]
drawingRoutine: 4
It's crashing it...
Quick fix attached.
Post by: kazek on August 07, 2016, 03:56:37 pm
Not consciously, but it's a brilliant idea!Thanks, it gave me quite laughs, when I figured this out.
So... I'm one step from ascending into regular X-com, so here are my thoughts on balance. (if someone doesnt want to spoil themeselves fun, please dont read this) Sol, keep in mind, that these are not complaints, but only suggestions:
1. After some time sky is swarming with UFOs, and I don't have means to shut them down. It is before my third promoion, but I did a speed run, accepting all important mission to get rid of the cults as quick as possible, but some (mostly bases and HQs) don't spawn very often. So in the end I'm waiting for Black Lotus to spawn while being unable to counteract against full-blown alien invasion. I'd suggest delaying UFOs a bit.
2. I really don't see the point in Jumpsuits right now. They require a special material, and by the time I get it(after Red Dawn HQ) I have my strike teams allready equiped with Armored Vests, which have much better protection. It is heavier, but thanks to gym all my soldiers have strenght at 70, so they can manage it.
3. The EXALT HQ was one of the most awesome as well as hardest missions ever. Without special gear and heavilly outnumbered my men were droping like flies. And in those labirinths of rooms and corridors it was very easy to overlook someone. But after some time it became really frustrating, when chasing the last enemy alive (and previouslly stunned, who came to their senses) with only 8, underequipped men. After long time I gave up and hauled my soldiers along with the most important prisoners to the LZ. (by the way, the last, post mortem insult from EXALT: Terminate the EXALT doesn't has UFOpedia entry at all, i mean not a blank page with STR_TERMINATE_THE_EXALT, but it doesn't even show)
4. While i love the concept of camouflaged enemies, those damn ninjas tend to camp to much. Few times I had to resign from the mission in the same manner, because some of my men were bleeding to their deaths and I ran out of medicines to tend them. And getting every single unit (inclufing tired ones) to vechicles took so loooooong.
5. I don't know, if this can be changed (or is a part of game mechanics), but shotgun loaded with Breneka(or other AP rounds) can be used as sniper rifle and take down a target from a long distance. And because shotgun has so low AP cost it's currentlly better than SR.
2. I really don't see the point in Jumpsuits right now. They require a special material, and by the time I get it(after Red Dawn HQ) I have my strike teams allready equiped with Armored Vests, which have much better protection. It is heavier, but thanks to gym all my soldiers have strenght at 70, so they can manage it.
3. The EXALT HQ was one of the most awesome as well as hardest missions ever. Without special gear and heavilly outnumbered my men were droping like flies. And in those labirinths of rooms and corridors it was very easy to overlook someone. But after some time it became really frustrating, when chasing the last enemy alive (and previouslly stunned, who came to their senses) with only 8, underequipped men. After long time I gave up and hauled my soldiers along with the most important prisoners to the LZ. (by the way, the last, post mortem insult from EXALT: Terminate the EXALT doesn't has UFOpedia entry at all, i mean not a blank page with STR_TERMINATE_THE_EXALT, but it doesn't even show)
4. While i love the concept of camouflaged enemies, those damn ninjas tend to camp to much. Few times I had to resign from the mission in the same manner, because some of my men were bleeding to their deaths and I ran out of medicines to tend them. And getting every single unit (inclufing tired ones) to vechicles took so loooooong.
5. I don't know, if this can be changed (or is a part of game mechanics), but shotgun loaded with Breneka(or other AP rounds) can be used as sniper rifle and take down a target from a long distance. And because shotgun has so low AP cost it's currentlly better than SR.
None of this issues changes the fact, that Your mod is a masterpiece, and gave me so much fun. I can't wait for the next release.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 07, 2016, 08:43:19 pm
ad. 1) I don't know what I can do about it. You can still hope for a landing nearby...
ad. 2) I am still thinking how to make Jumpsuits more useful. Once Environments are in, they may become more attractive.
ad. 3) Yeah, it's a very long mission, and extraction with the captive is not a bad idea. The Ufopaedia bug will be fixed in the next version.
ad. 4) Sorry, the ninjas are staying. ;)
ad. 5) I've just rebalanced shotguns, hopefully for the better.
Again, many thanks!
Post by: HelmetHair on August 09, 2016, 01:31:14 am
Right click the alien containment facility in the base screen to bring up the alien containment management dialogue. There you canexecute prisonersremove specimens.
THANKS!!!
Post by: HelmetHair on August 09, 2016, 03:54:31 am
In the "detention center" It does not show zombies, fat zombies, or infectors, mongorn savages etc.
Thus I can't kill them to get their sweet sweet blood plasma to inject into my own dudes on missions.
Gehey....
Also,
1. Armadillo 3K is way too good.
2. How come I have samples of hyper advanced weaponry that I cannot research it. That completely ruins the effort I spent in obtaining it. Please, don't give me any "it's illegal" bullshit.
3. How the FUCK do you justify not giving access to all earth weapons when you have trusted officers burning people alive. I can't get good funs beause. "illegality"?? FUCKING STUPID.
4. Ninjas are silly cliches that make me almost want to quit playing.... well done. :)
More to follow... need food and beer.
-HH
edited because it is edited...
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 09, 2016, 10:30:09 am
Actually detention it appears to be bugged. I've attached two screen shots and will describe the situation.
In the "detention center" It does not show zombies, fat zombies, or infectors, mongorn savages etc.
Thus I can't kill them to get their sweet sweet blood plasma to inject into my own dudes on missions.
Gehey....
This is strange, but potentially good news: I've always wanted for human prisoners to not take up space in the Alien Containment. Because it's called Alien Containment.
Do these non-alien monsters take up space in the Alien Containment?
Can they be sold?
Also,
1. Armadillo 3K is way too good.
Arma-what? What mod were you playing? -_-
2. How come I have samples of hyper advanced weaponry that I cannot research it. That completely ruins the effort I spent in obtaining it. Please, don't give me any "it's illegal" bullshit.
Depends. Which weaponry?
And if illegal stuff is bullshit to you, then maybe you picked a wrong organization to lead. :P
3. How the FUCK do you justify not giving access to all earth weapons when you have trusted officers burning people alive. I can't get good funs beause. "illegality"?? FUCKING STUPID.
Not my problem.
4. Ninjas are silly cliches that make me almost want to quit playing.... well done. :)
Thank you. :)
BTW Meridian has just upgraded his .exe by adding more options for invisibility. The ninjas are likely getting a makeover.
Post by: Drasnighta on August 09, 2016, 08:11:26 pm
... Well, where I stopped playing for 3-4 hours at a time, and instead, spread the ONE OUTPOST FIGHT over 1 hour per day for 6 days, because they would last forever...
Post by: HelmetHair on August 10, 2016, 05:59:05 pm
This is strange, but potentially good news: I've always wanted for human prisoners to not take up space in the Alien Containment. Because it's called Alien Containment.
Do these non-alien monsters take up space in the Alien Containment?
Can they be sold?
That would be fine if they showed up to my base as corpses after a mission because I didn't have an "alien containment", but they don't. I would even accept the extra step of corpsifying them in the afteraction screen. I need their corpses, but can't make them corpses. Unless I can research a blood plasma prison or get more plasma units by actively sucking a monster dry.... morbid.
I don't have an Alien Containment as of yet, but a Detention Center and no, Monsters do not take up space in a Detention center, but can be sold.
I will update you when I build an Alien Containment.
Arma-what? What mod were you playing? -_-
You mean this isn't the TEX-COM Files? ??? Shit, my bad .... :)
But the Arasaka 3000 is a top tier piece of gear that turns a mediocre marksman into a tyrant. Cool. There is no point in using anything else with experinced agents....yet. 4-8 dudes shooting dots out dice at 100 yards in the driving rain at night.
Depends. Which weaponry?
Alloy ammunition, Laser, Gauss, and Plasma weapons...all of them. I've also have samples of all of them. I also have had sundry alien technology for months and can't research it. UFO Navigations, UFO power sources, examination rooms, alloys, mind probes etc
And if illegal stuff is bullshit to you, then maybe you picked a wrong organization to lead. :P
So true....so many Europeans, so little asprin. ;)
Not my problem.Mostly true... But all my melodramatic pseudo vitriol aside I belieive you ultimatley want to provide a fun and rewarding experience, right?
Now, for tons of people having a logically consistent story driven operational doctrine that follows through a particular phase of the invasion and changes with hard demarcations to clue the player in is rewarding. You are 4.5/5 there.
Most of the available starting equipment is truly abhorrent but just good enough to motivate you to find better. Promotion I and Promotion II are kind of meh in personal equipment and there are a few unreasonable holes in terrestrial equipment, as well as weapon descriptions that obviously came straight off of /k/... I'm looking at you SA80.
It is still nice to feel you are progressing and you're accomplishing something. Which for the most part I feel is reasonably done. It's the fringes that irk the shit out of me because of the extreme care taken in some areas and slop in others... However, I do realize that mileage will vary for other people and this is a work in progress. Polished flavor text is something I know you are working on.
An example of one of these irks....
Cardboard cut out lady endangers the entire project for personal gratifacation.
A simple research interrogation nets me "I obviously decided to burn this guy alive because he's an evil sumbitch and you can't prove we did it neener neener". What purpose does that serve? Does it make me like or respect a character who is still a useless cardboard cut out to me? What are you as a storyteller trying to convey to me as the audience? What are you trying to make me feel? Satisfaction? Remorse? Pity? Respect? None of these come to me and instead feel you shoehorning me into harboring a monster. I'm afraid I can't relate to her one dimensional badgrrrrl rectal haberdashery. Maybe why so many interrogations are not as productive as they could be is because my interrogator is a reckless psychopathic monster. :o This is your problem as the storyteller!
Another Irk...
Cult arms dealers netted me the ability to purchase one weapon. Granted it is overpowered, but arms in use around the world and likely a ton easier to obtain because they are already also being sold by the same arms dealer? Okay... I guess. By the time I was actually able to get at "high grade" military equipment via promotion II; it was outmoded by the one rifle I was able to obtain (A3k) by the cult arms dealer. Mixed bag I guess. I want your specific comment on this one please. Where are the Light Cannons, Grenade launchers etc? from the military attache? or cult connection? Honestly, seeing some comments by other people I know that there are entire swaths of the tech tree I never saw or had a chance to see. There was a time I couldn't buy ammo for the two most common service rifles in the world with hundreds of millions of units in the world.... But could get an all I can eat buffet of some secret squirrel rifle in some weird caliber with unique magazines at my door in 24 hours? That's annoying.
Yet another Irk...
Weapon info and traits.... they are all over the place, such as.
.45ACP does as much damage as 7.62x39? 3 times the energy in 7.62 and heck of a lot more penetrating power by shape and diamater. Vests that can stop multiple hits of .45 ACP will not stop 7.62x39. I laugh at this one everytime I play.
5.8mm machine pistol. Why 5.8? the only 5.8 ammunition for this purpose is 3g and not 2g. 5.7 would be correct and fit the time period, but frankly why not an FN P90?
Slow reload with weapons that are really quick and easy to reload and fast reload on weapons that are difficult.
genuine head scratchers sometimes.
Oh and I'm super flush with cash.... Like I have 50+ million and basically nothing to spend it on. Suggestions?
Now the good...
Great idea, good execution, fun to play, difficult enough to keep my attention.
Have a great day!
-HH
edited for clarity???
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 10, 2016, 07:13:32 pm
That would be fine if they showed up to my base as corpses after a mission because I didn't have an "alien containment", but they don't. I would even accept the extra step of corpsifying them in the afteraction screen. I need their corpses, but can't make them corpses. Unless I can research a blood plasma prison or get more plasma units by actively sucking a monster dry.... morbid.
Yeah I know, I like this part. :)
Anyway, yes, your problem is a real one... Bummer. Again, can anyone else shed some light?
I don't have an Alien Containment as of yet, but a Detention Center and no, Monsters do not take up space in a Detention center, but can be sold.
I will update you when I build an Alien Containment.
Unfortunately it's the same thing, I only changed the name to reflect on the fact you also keep humans there (and monsters from the Twilight Zone). I wish it would be possible.
But the Arasaka 3000 is a top tier piece of gear that turns a mediocre marksman into a tyrant. Cool. There is no point in using anything else with experinced agents....yet. 4-8 dudes shooting dots out dice at 100 yards in the driving rain at night.
That's OK, I've already heard a couple of "no point using anything else" comments... About various different items of course. Dioxine hears it all the time, because Piratez is such a huge mod.
Alloy ammunition, Laser, Gauss, and Plasma weapons...all of them. I've also have samples of all of them. I also have had sundry alien technology for months and can't research it. UFO Navigations, UFO power sources, examination rooms, alloys, mind probes etc
Most of these you can't research yet because you don't meet the prerequisites. It's not about regulations, it's because your scientists need to understand more first.
With the next edition I expect the path to the Alien Engineering be a bit shorter.
So true....so many Europeans, so little asprin. ;)
Mostly true... But all my melodramatic pseudo vitriol aside I belieive you ultimatley want to provide a fun and rewarding experience, right?
Of course, so I'll explain better. I never received another complaint that the weapon access blockade is unrealistic. I've heard many complaints from a few people, but not this one. So maybe they were too polite, or maybe, I don't know, stupid, but I think it's a safe bet that it's at least not too bad.
Of course I listen to your opinions too. But I can't/don't want to just throw everything out of the window because of something I'm not even sure is bad.
Most of the available starting equipment is truly abhorrent but just good enough to motivate you to find better. Promotion I and Promotion II are kind of meh in personal equipment and there are a few unreasonable holes in terrestrial equipment, as well as weapon descriptions that obviously came straight off of /k/... I'm looking at you SA80.
Maybe, I've never been at /k/ lol :) Actually I can't remember reading real life weapon descriptions at all, so whatever you have seen there, it must've come from my own, black soul. :)
It is still nice to feel you are progressing and you're accomplishing something. Which for the most part I feel is reasonably done. It's the fringes that irk the shit out of me because of the extreme care taken in some areas and slop in others... However, I do realize that mileage will vary for other people and this is a work in progress. Polished flavor text is something I know you are working on.
Yes, thanks for the understanding. I really have way too little time for this... I'm doing what I can!
An example of one of these irks....
Cardboard cut out lady endangers the entire project for personal gratifacation.
A simple research interrogation nets me "I obviously decided to burn this guy alive because he's an evil sumbitch and you can't prove we did it neener neener". What purpose does that serve? Does it make me like or respect a character who is still a useless cardboard cut out to me? What are you as a storyteller trying to convey to me as the audience? What are you trying to make me feel? Satisfaction? Remorse? Pity? Respect? None of these come to me and instead feel you shoehorning me into harboring a monster. I'm afraid I can't relate to her one dimensional badgrrrrl rectal haberdashery. Maybe why so many interrogations are not as productive as they could be is because my interrogator is a reckless psychopathic monster. :o This is your problem as the storyteller!
No, it was a stupid joke.
I'm not saying it was a good one. But to be honest, I plan to add way more. Otherwise it'll be way too grimdark far what it is: a pastiche of the 90's.
Cult arms dealers netted me the ability to purchase one weapon. Granted it is overpowered, but arms in use around the world and likely a ton easier to obtain because they are already also being sold by the same arms dealer? Okay... I guess. By the time I was actually able to get at "high grade" military equipment via promotion II; it was outmoded by the one rifle I was able to obtain (A3k) by the cult arms dealer. Mixed bag I guess. I want your specific comment on this one please. Where are the Light Cannons, Grenade launchers etc? from the military attache? or cult connection? Honestly, seeing some comments by other people I know that there are entire swaths of the tech tree I never saw or had a chance to see. There was a time I couldn't buy ammo for the two most common service rifles in the world with hundreds of millions of units in the world.... But could get an all I can eat buffet of some secret squirrel rifle in some weird caliber with unique magazines at my door in 24 hours? That's annoying.
Yeah, it's a bit gamey. I've decided it's not so bad in this case... But not perfect either. It's just a concept, like Electro-Flares or Medikits. Not even trying to be realistic.
Weapon info and traits.... they are all over the place, such as.
.45ACP does as much damage as 7.62x39? 3 times the energy in 7.62 and heck of a lot more penetrating power by shape and diamater. Vests that can stop multiple hits of .45 ACP will not stop 7.62x39. I laugh at this one everytime I play.
I hate to dump the responsibility onto other people, but the truth is I've taken the stats from Dioxine. :) Because 1) he knows way more about weapons than me and 2) his choices were carefully balanced and tested. So... I have nothing else to say.
5.8mm machine pistol. Why 5.8? the only 5.8 ammunition for this purpose is 3g and not 2g. 5.7 would be correct and fit the time period, but frankly why not an FN P90?
Because Ryskeliini (who made this weapon) said so, and I saw no reason to argue.
Slow reload with weapons that are really quick and easy to reload and fast reload on weapons that are difficult.
genuine head scratchers sometimes.
Examples? I'm really willing to change it if necessary.
Oh and I'm super flush with cash.... Like I have 50+ million and basically nothing to spend it on. Suggestions?
There will be more in the next version. :P For now, just... spam scientists, I guess?
Now the good...
Great idea, good execution, fun to play, difficult enough to keep my attention.
Have a great day!
Thanks! You too!
Post by: HelmetHair on August 11, 2016, 01:31:46 am
something else I ran across.... Even though I hadn't researched any MIB technology only corpses which netted me seemingly nothing, I was suddenly able to manufacture reworked MIB armor.... for enemies I haven't even encountered yet. Weirdness.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 11, 2016, 10:49:54 am
OH!
something else I ran across.... Even though I hadn't researched any MIB technology only corpses which netted me seemingly nothing, I was suddenly able to manufacture reworked MIB armor.... for enemies I haven't even encountered yet. Weirdness.
Thanks. It's easy to fix, but the entire MiB stuff is still in tatters.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 11, 2016, 05:14:41 pm
I'm just going to make you a list and go through all the ufopedia entries and let you decide if any edits are good. Yes, I am a pedantic fuckhead but I'm a passionate.
I'll respond at length to your previous post later.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 12, 2016, 07:51:57 pm
That's OK, I've already heard a couple of "no point using anything else" comments... About various different items of course. Dioxine hears it all the time, because Piratez is such a huge mod.
I don't care about what Dioxine hears about Piratez. You are not Dioxine and this is not Piratez. This tech tree is a sprawling maze with no real way to be sure you are progressing or heading into a blind alley. I can say there is no point in using anything else because I've yet to run across anything that matches any category of accuracy or damage....for 18 months in game. I've got over 1000 kills with it, If I had access to something better I would use it.
Most of these you can't research yet because you don't meet the prerequisites. It's not about regulations, it's because your scientists need to understand more first.
I figured. Honesty, I was being an ass. However, even after I got alien engineering I was unable to research alien technology at all without rubber hosing another half dozen more aliens and even now I have literally only been able to crack one alien weapon...whose ufopedia entry is bugged. le sigh. This is epecially annoying because MIBs which have been stated as being human using human gear and if it can be made by man, it can be unmade by man...I am making a big assumption there though. :o
With the next edition I expect the path to the Alien Engineering be a bit shorter.
Cool... replication of alien tech is one thing,that is mastery. However, you should be able to research EVERY item immediately... I didn't say "be able to use it" but study it. And in some instances like alien alloys you can say " yeah it's really cool, but unworkable to us right now" and then later get the ability to use, manufacture, etc.
Of course, so I'll explain better. I never received another complaint that the weapon access blockade is unrealistic. I've heard many complaints from a few people, but not this one. So maybe they were too polite, or maybe, I don't know, stupid, but I think it's a safe bet that it's at least not too bad.
Of course I listen to your opinions too. But I can't/don't want to just throw everything out of the window because of something I'm not even sure is bad.
I want to be clear. I am not right, and you are not wrong.
I don't expect you to toss the idea, because everyone has limits. You are attempting to progress a story where an organization moves from 2poopy police to an elite fighting force. You should use every tool at your disposal, but expect I you not to hand wave "regulations" or "illegal". That is weak storytelling and does not have a foundation in reality...to a point. I expect you make the limits strong and be sensical and use them and break them to further the story and keep the difficulty right where it needs to be and use limits as both as a carrot and a stick to encourage your players to be uncomfortable, but not overwhelmed by the difficulty.
You have it broken up into huge bites. Why not make a few small bites, and a few big bites for a steadier progression with breakthroughs that are still rewarding?
Now, why does no one else complain?
Well, a few possibilities ...
1.Demonstrated thoughtless ignorance that is typical of most Europeans in regards to firearms and their availabilty; Couple that with stereotyping by Europeans of Americans and suddenly facts are irrelevant and opinions unconsidered based simply on the preconceived notions that some attempt to belittle others with... Including by the very person you qoute as being an authority on weapons.
So it does something like this....
"YOU ARE QUESTIONING ME!?!?!?! HAHAHAHAHAHA! SILLY AMERICAN!"
No one likes that....But, seeing as I'm from planet USA none of that matters. ;)
Ok, I'll get off my cross.... :D
2. Others are more polite than I am.
3. I am willing to ask questions, look stupid, or otherwise annoy the shit out of ANYONE in search of what I like.
4. They can't or won't analyze their situation and resources.
5. They can't use logic, or at least won't out loud.
6. I'm a pedantic fuckwit.
An example...
An oversight of no Kevlar vests is silly. Joke flavor text, whatever you try to use to justify it... It is ridiculous. There were very few regulations on purchasing body armor in very few countries at the time period of this mod (and today). If cops in the third world can get a vest a UN taskforce should too. It doesn't have to be a good vest, just something that gives a reasonable chance of surviving being shot with a pistol. You can always add a few steps to the armor tree.
Not having AK 47s initially is reasonable because X-Com is an investigational unit, right? So pistols, shotguns, smoke grenades, tasers are all legit.... like regular police in most of the world. But, research into the most common rifles, grenades exsplosives etc should be available piecemeal and as a promotion chunk. So we can simulate our dudes fighting to get decent gear as an underfunded and misunderstood bastard child locked under the stairs to allow the players to scale as needed to defeat the threats placed in front of them.
It becomes obvious that the cultists are up to no good and heavily armed and so getting comparable gear like AKs,MP5s M16s and plate carriers would be a priority.Bubbas hunting rifle should not be considered a primo piece of equipment to an international interdiction unit taking on Rothschild/ Rockafeller backed drug dealing artistocrat super terrorists.
When hyper advanced weaponry and tanks are coming on to the field to directly hinder you... all the stops must go. RPGs, LMGs, Demo packs. Single shot rocket launchers etc.
Maybe, I've never been at /k/ lol :) Actually I can't remember reading real life weapon descriptions at all, so whatever you have seen there, it must've come from my own, black soul. :)
No... it must be the pure psychic stink of the place exuding into reality. I have to buy a flamethrower now....
No, it was a stupid joke.
I'm not saying it was a good one. But to be honest, I plan to add way more. Otherwise it'll be way too grimdark far what it is: a pastiche of the 90's.
My bad.
Yeah, it's a bit gamey. I've decided it's not so bad in this case... But not perfect either. It's just a concept, like Electro-Flares or Medikits. Not even trying to be realistic.
Well... it is a game. However, maybe more arms dealers?Maybe more topics that feel like we are slowly eking out an advantage against the cultists until the paradigm shift of the MIB and the first wave aliens.
I hate to dump the responsibility onto other people, but the truth is I've taken the stats from Dioxine. :) Because 1) he knows way more about weapons than me and 2) his choices were carefully balanced and tested. So... I have nothing else to say.
Your mod, your responsibility. :)
Accurate refection of relative weapon power is important, but not penultimate.... that's all I'm saying. It doesn't have to be a super realistic in correllation as in 3x more powerful etc. This is isn't Piratez.
Examples? I'm really willing to change it if necessary.
I'll make you a list... I didn't want to have to deal with how the sausage was made, but no help for that now. ;D
There will be more in the next version. :P For now, just... spam scientists, I guess?
Cool
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 13, 2016, 01:58:28 pm
Post by: HelmetHair on August 13, 2016, 07:40:07 pm
Post by: niculinux on August 15, 2016, 01:01:54 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 15, 2016, 05:11:08 pm
UFO and TFTD ( air and underwater combat) in one mod?! Hey that's heaven! More stuff will be placed (weapons, items, craft, ecc) in next versions?
You bet!
Here's a much-needed update: https://www.mediafire.com/download/a1bh2ahs0khwnvl/OpenXcom_XFiles_0.2.4.zip
Changelog:
- Fixed a problem with EXALT Brainer crashing the game.
- Fixed a problem with EXALT HQ Ufopaedia entry crashing the game.
- Fixed a critical bug with the Corridor facility crashing the game.
- Fixed Skorpion SMG Ufopaedia page crashing the game (see a pattern here?).
- Shotguns rebalance.
- Some melee weapons rebalance.
- Gauss and Railguns rebalance. Synthsuit, Power Suit and Flying Suit rebalance.
- Better Hybrid face, by Civilian.
- Added Alien Subrifle, a plasma SMG.
- Changed invisibility for the Black Lotus Assassin, now he is visible from a close distance.
Mostly fixes, so no big content addition yet. But many of these errors were fatal, so that's good. Also I bet you'll prefer the new stealth system for assassins...
Post by: ivandogovich on August 15, 2016, 05:33:21 pm
Also I bet you'll prefer the new stealth system for assassins...
No more invincible ninjas? :) or is that "Black Lotus Assassin" someone different?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 15, 2016, 06:02:16 pm
No more invincible ninjas? :) or is that "Black Lotus Assassin" someone different?
No, it's the same one.
I mean he's still mostly invisible, but can be seen from all angles if you are very close. No more diagonal sight nonsense.
Post by: niculinux on August 15, 2016, 07:51:41 pm
Some suggestions:
1) I've seen we got a beretta92fs! How about to use also the m12? The current uzi seems actually more an ingram mac-10, i made a model for it; as well as the aforementioned m12, you can find them here (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,3934.msg50864.html#msg50864) May also use the one featured in the Xeno Operations mid by Xops, very very well made :)
2) use the ak47 and the rcf carabine, and the heavy shtgun featured in x-piraez (the second as m-16, the third as mossberg shotgun?)
3) as soon i entered a cult activit site, game crashed. it's an .exe crashed, the same already reported in x-piratez 0.99A1 (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4058.msg68685.html#msg68685)so it's not stricltly mod-depending. save, dump and file save attached.
4) the APC alike startin vehicle has too few fuel capacity!! How abut to increase a bit?
5) the car in the hangar map screen need to be a bit bigger and centered
6) some stuff form final mod pack (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,2027.0.html) is to be expected?
7) very basic weapons such uzi should not be researched. Instead may be replaced by a caws shotgun, and somo less common, which player may have acces after completed the non conventional weapons topic
edit: addictions :o
Edit: sry the save file attached has a wrong name, it' the 0.2.4 instead
Post by: niculinux on August 15, 2016, 07:55:27 pm
a couple of more hints:
* standard outfit should not feature a backpack. May have a shoulder holster, along the "belted" one?
* the actual colt .45 seems more a desert eagle (https://www.imfdb.org/images/thumb/7/7a/DesertEagle44Magnum.jpg/390px-DesertEagle44Magnum.jpg), why not modify it, for instnce, shrten the barrel or a more overall slim shape.
Edit: typos
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 15, 2016, 08:24:38 pm
1) I've seen we got a beretta92fs! How aoubt to use also the m12? as for uzi i made a model, as well as the aforementioned m12, you can find them here (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,3934.msg50864.html#msg50864)
2) use the ak47 and the rcf carabine, and the heavy shtgun featured in x-piraez (the second as m-16, the third as mossberg shotgun?)
More guns are being added gradually, when possible and if they make sense.
3) as soon i entered a cult activit site, game crashed. it's an .exe crashed, the same already reported in x-piratez 0.99A1 (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4058.msg68685.html#msg68685)so it's not stricltly mod-depending. save, dump and file save attached.
Sorry, but I can't reproduce it. I had a cult activity site, went there, it loaded.
How about disabling all other mods? Aliens_Pick_Up_Weapons is already included and Limit_Craft_Item_Capacities won't do much with new designs. They may cause conflicts.
4) the APC alike startin vehicle has too few fuel capacity!! How abut to increase a bit?
And make it the default vehicle? Nope! The Mudranger is for special purposes only, unless you are smart enough to use it anyway.
5) the car in the hangar map screen need to be a bit bigger and centered
It's a Ford, not a Mud Monster. :P
And I could centre it, but it's better like it is now, trust me.
6) some stuff form final mod pack (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,2027.0.html) is to be expected?
ALL OF IT is to be expected, and way more.
edit: addictions :o
Eh? You addicted already? :)
...and some screenies bug related :'(
Right, a missing string. Thanks.
* standard outft should not feature a backpack. Ma have a shoulder holster alond the "below" one
It will be done at some point.
* the colt .45 actually seems more a desert eagle (https://www.imfdb.org/images/thumb/7/7a/DesertEagle44Magnum.jpg/390px-DesertEagle44Magnum.jpg), why not modify it, for instnce, shrten the barrel or a more overall slim shape
Maybe at some point.
Post by: niculinux on August 15, 2016, 08:31:57 pm
As for the ford...hell..how about to teplace it with a van, with 4 crew capacity? Like in those movies involving the FBI 8) ;D. Please i really wish it would not have to be researched..hey made some edit in the previous posts sry.
Edit: and i also like the new battlescape music!!! A new one for the geoscape is planned i guess if not, maybe ask gifty for the one he realizrd for TFTD (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,3879.msg55399.html#msg55399) to be "embedded?
Post by: The Think Tank on August 15, 2016, 09:57:11 pm
Post by: niculinux on August 16, 2016, 12:43:47 am
It's not really ready yet. Actually, I'd say it's more of a demo than a full version. I have maybe 20% of things done, hence the 0.2 number. Still, it's playable and offers a lot of new content already.
I think about it in terms of "arcs", like in TV series: what you see is (grossly undertested) Season 1, where you are placed in the new setting and some shit is going down immediately. Further seasons will be released when they're ready
So as of now 0.2.4 i guess the mod is not beatable or am i wrong? Plus, i reallt wish there will be full linux compatibility, as fir the casecsentivitiness thing, and of course a precompiled binary executable...
..also i've read here and thrre the whole thread and i like the conpiracy/illuminati setting! One last request: please may be the current magnum sprite - which is wuite blue actually - with the one made by yizroud (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4595.105.html)?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 16, 2016, 12:45:23 am
So as of now 0.2.4 i guess the mod is not beatable or am i wrong?
It is beatable, just not very rich yet. Plus advancing is probably gonna be harder than later.
One last request: please may be the current magnum sprite - which is wuite blue actually - with the one made by yizroud (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4595.105.html)?
I don't know... Yrizoud's magnum is great, but a bit too much like other pistols...
Post by: niculinux on August 16, 2016, 10:50:18 am
Code: [Select]
[16-08-2016 09:41:02] [INFO] requested file not found: UFOGRAPH/MAN_6M0.SPK
[16-08-2016 09:41:02] [INFO] requested file not found: UFOGRAPH/MAN_15M0.SPK
[16-08-2016 09:41:03] [INFO] requested file not found: UFOGRAPH/MAN_16M0.SPK
[16-08-2016 09:41:03] [INFO] requested file not found: UFOGRAPH/MAN_20M0.SPK
1) some agentes missing their flags when displayed in the
2) agents stat screen and the one regarding the memorial after a battle have paledde messed
3) xcom should not be aware of the "EXALT sect"? I think before they are investigaated (researched) should be labbeled as "fanatic cultist"
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 16, 2016, 11:01:03 am
Aain in the 0.2.4, during a cultis activist raid missionafter i ended my turn gae hanged displaying th "Hidden movement" screen and i had only to exit. Saved game attached. openxcom log file says, in the very last lines:Code: [Select][16-08-2016 09:41:02] [INFO] requested file not found: UFOGRAPH/MAN_6M0.SPK
[16-08-2016 09:41:02] [INFO] requested file not found: UFOGRAPH/MAN_15M0.SPK
[16-08-2016 09:41:03] [INFO] requested file not found: UFOGRAPH/MAN_16M0.SPK
[16-08-2016 09:41:03] [INFO] requested file not found: UFOGRAPH/MAN_20M0.SPK
OK, I'll check when I get home.
1) some agentes missing their flags when displayed in the
I know, and it's baffling me... I need to consult Meridian.
2) agents stat screen and the one regarding the memorial after a battle have paledde messed
Hmm... I can't remember this happening, but I'll keep an eye on it.
3) xcom should not be aware of the "EXALT sect"? I think before they are investigaated (researched) should be labbeled as "fanatic cultist"
And how do I do this? :)
Post by: Juku121 on August 16, 2016, 05:17:00 pm
First, I'd like to thank Solarius for all the effort he's put into this mod (and maintaining the FMP). I don't think I can go back to regular X-Com after experiencing his work.
Now, I've had several weeks of fun playing and modifying (way too much modifying, in fact) the X-Com Files to suit my own tastes, and I think I'm nearing a point of repletion where I'm going to drop the game, at least for a while. Happens to most games I play, unfortunately, but I usually come back to the good ones in a couple of years.
But I've done quite a bit of ground work that may be of interest to Solarius and possibly other modders, so I'm asking whether there's any interest in me sharing my RAW changes (as in, I don't have the time or inclination to support or extensively document anything) to X-Com Files? If you know how to use file comparison software, most of my changes can be easily found and incorporated (if they make sense and you like them, that is).
So you don't buy a pig in a poke (or cat in a sack in the case of Solarius, I think), I'll give you a partial list of changes:
- all HWPs have two weapons, a cannon or rocket launcher and corresponding automatic weapon,
- there's a line of alloy HWPs to go with Personal Armor,
- different armors and HWPs have different icons in the craft equip screen a la Piratez,
- an overhaul of faction and alien equipment (everyone has somewhat standardized loadouts) + some YML "copy-paste" to avoid mind-numbing repetitions,
- several corrections and additions in the UFOPedia articles,
- a couple of changes to psionics: there's now a dedicated psionic armor, an upgraded X-Com "flame glove" and three tiers of Psi-Amps,
- somewhat more fleshed out weapon families, including a second tier of most explosives (Fusion land mine, extra-powerful smoke grenades etc), a full family of dart weapons, various types of grenade launchers (and a mortar) instead of the HC and AC, and so on,
- a biowarfare program piggybacked on the dart weapons, including a chemical warhead for most explosive-style weapons (rockets, grenade launchers, hand grenades),
- several tiers of agents, starting with the usual types and going through SF specialists with higher minimum stats and two or three slightly raised maximums to Psi-soldiers (same, but focus on the two psi-stats),
- severely limited funding (you start with 1M and grow from there),
- more nations and cities (mostly from the Improved Nations mod),
- a number of new facilities, mostly 2x2 (a global radar, 250-engineer workshop, etc) and stolen/modified from XOps,
- Alien Containment is delayed after Alien Biology and terrestrial enemies take up storage space instead of containment cells (there's a bug/feature that makes interrogations require 1 space in the Alien Containment, no matter whether the critter itself does, so it's not perfect),
- the Gym is restyled as a psionic training facility (and thus delayed to the later stages of the game), since daily stat growths are quite ... astronomical,
- fully recolored corpses for the recolored aliens (Snakemen in particular),
- psionics (including higher-tier Psi-Amps, psi-armor, psionic 'gym' and the like) is tiered behind five prerequisites, unlocked by capturing and interrogating successive tiers of psionic aliens (Sectoid -> Cerebral -> Ethereal -> high-ranking Ethereals -> Ethereal Order),
- doubled research times,
- the appearance of alien races is spread over a two-year period, with usually three months allocated to a new arrival, but that's far from ironclad, and works well enough due to the increased research times, all the new terrestrial tech to unlock and lowered council funding,
- MiB and hybrids use the same 'terror' mission model as the cultists, instead of the fake UFOs they used to travel in,
- a balance pass at aircraft, featuring an implementation of the embryonic non-weapon equipment in Solarius's files (so you can put an improved radar suite on the Skywarden or reinforce the airframe of the Raven even further with alloys) and more,
- all Hybrid installations (not convoys), cult bases and HQ's and every EXALT mission is now an infiltration mission; you haven't experienced true pain unless you've gone through a dozen ninjas using only leather attire, handguns and SMGs;
- a solution to the 'Major League Baseball pitchers' problem: everyone has severely limited strength (soldiers top out at 30+x, with x depending on the blessings of the RNG), but all armors grant you up to 50 'free' weight points, so grenade ranges are much more realistic now,
- a slight change to inventory: backpack is 3x4, and belt is 2x2 + 1 + 1x2, but you can no longer use shoulders or left leg for 2x1 items (right leg still works),
- and more, including quite probably a number of bugs I haven't caught, since I've only made it to July 1999 so far.
Post by: niculinux on August 16, 2016, 05:31:20 pm
And how do I do this? :)
Don't know, they should appear in the research screen as "cultist activist" (same as you hover the mouse over their stunned body in battlescape).
Once researched they tell you about their sect, hey thete may be ave different sprites for different organizations don't know if more than one is planned.. :o ;D
I may try this mod again later, when it hits 0.3, hopefully having time. Bye for now!!
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 16, 2016, 05:49:07 pm
Yes, I am mostly aware how, well, alpha the mod is. I think I'm at least a year away from actually beginning to smoothing things up. Therefore all feedback is critical.
Let me address each point separately.
all HWPs have two weapons, a cannon or rocket launcher and corresponding automatic weapon,
Yes, or possibly something else, like a motion scanner. I haven't tackled it much yet.
there's a line of alloy HWPs to go with Personal Armor,
Maybe. The problem is that it would effectively double the amount of HWPs in the game, making all lists even more exceedingly long. I don't really know what to do.
different armors and HWPs have different icons in the craft equip screen a la Piratez,
Will certainly happen at some point.
an overhaul of faction and alien equipment (everyone has somewhat standardized loadouts) + some YML "copy-paste" to avoid mind-numbing repetitions,
I'm not sure what you mean. I'm trying to assign (mostly) separate armories to various factions already.
several corrections and additions in the UFOPedia articles,
Yeah, well... I'm trying :)
a couple of changes to psionics: there's now a dedicated psionic armor, an upgraded X-Com "flame glove" and three tiers of Psi-Amps,
I'm not really crazy about psi armours at the moment, because how would they help? The theory is pretty vague. There is a link between psionics and technology, as proven by the existence of the Psi-Amp, but I'd need a good theoretical base first.
Nevertheless, I'm certainly up for discussion.
somewhat more fleshed out weapon families, including a second tier of most explosives (Fusion land mine, extra-powerful smoke grenades etc), a full family of dart weapons, various types of grenade launchers (and a mortar) instead of the HC and AC, and so on,
Possibly. It's a matter of only adding weapons that are at least a little different, otherwise it's a endless gun porn hell (if there is something like a porn hell).
Some suggestions would be appreciated.
a biowarfare program piggybacked on the dart weapons, including a chemical warhead for most explosive-style weapons (rockets, grenade launchers, hand grenades),
Would be nice, but I'm postponing such ideas for now because 1) I'm doing other stuff, 2) I'm hoping for some engine improvements to better reflect such weapons.
several tiers of agents, starting with the usual types and going through SF specialists with higher minimum stats and two or three slightly raised maximums to Psi-soldiers (same, but focus on the two psi-stats),
But this is already happening, your agent starts as a nobody and advances to an almost godlike status. :)
I understand you would like tiers of agents to recruit, but I'm not sure why.
severely limited funding (you start with 1M and grow from there),
I'm hoping to balance it better.
more nations and cities (mostly from the Improved Nations mod),
It's already somewhat improved. Drawing borders is a bitch though, and such mods merge poorly.
a number of new facilities, mostly 2x2 (a global radar, 250-engineer workshop, etc) and stolen/modified from XOps,
Possibly, with time.
Alien Containment is delayed after Alien Biology and terrestrial enemies take up storage space instead of containment cells (there's a bug/feature that makes interrogations require 1 space in the Alien Containment, no matter whether the critter itself does, so it's not perfect),
If the code allows, sure. Ideally I'd like three types of "prison": for aliens, for humans and for animal-like creatures.
the Gym is restyled as a psionic training facility (and thus delayed to the later stages of the game), since daily stat growths are quite ... astronomical,
Maybe I'll make it a bit weaker. Not an easy decision.
fully recolored corpses for the recolored aliens (Snakemen in particular),
When I got to the smoothing phase I mentioned. :)
psionics (including higher-tier Psi-Amps, psi-armor, psionic 'gym' and the like) is tiered behind five prerequisites, unlocked by capturing and interrogating successive tiers of psionic aliens (Sectoid -> Cerebral -> Ethereal -> high-ranking Ethereals -> Ethereal Order),
There are also other psionic beings in the mod, so I wouldn't just go there yet. But yes, I plan to have several distinct branches of psionics, from different sources and with various effects. (More or less the Piratez way.)
doubled research times,
Maybe for later techs.
the appearance of alien races is spread over a two-year period, with usually three months allocated to a new arrival, but that's far from ironclad, and works well enough due to the increased research times, all the new terrestrial tech to unlock and lowered council funding,
Possibly. It depends on how it's balanced against other elements of the game. For now, I just think it's too early, since most factions and arcs aren't in the game yet.
MiB and hybrids use the same 'terror' mission model as the cultists, instead of the fake UFOs they used to travel in,
Yes, it's planned. The current implementation is from a long ago when it wasn't possible.
a balance pass at aircraft, featuring an implementation of the embryonic non-weapon equipment in Solarius's files (so you can put an improved radar suite on the Skywarden or reinforce the airframe of the Raven even further with alloys) and more,
Yeah, I have a number of craft mods half-coded in already.
all Hybrid installations (not convoys), cult bases and HQ's and every EXALT mission is now an infiltration mission; you haven't experienced true pain unless you've gone through a dozen ninjas using only leather attire, handguns and SMGs;
I think it's going too far, most players wouldn't want that. But I promise there will be more infilration missions, mostly related to The Syndicate (an evil corporation to be introduced when I'm done with the Cyberweb).
a solution to the 'Major League Baseball pitchers' problem: everyone has severely limited strength (soldiers top out at 30+x, with x depending on the blessings of the RNG), but all armors grant you up to 50 'free' weight points, so grenade ranges are much more realistic now,
That's a bit hackish and would be confusing for many players. I'd rather tweak the grenades themselves.
a slight change to inventory: backpack is 3x4, and belt is 2x2 + 1 + 1x2, but you can no longer use shoulders or left leg for 2x1 items (right leg still works),
It will depend on armour worn.
and more, including quite probably a number of bugs I haven't caught, since I've only made it to July 1999 so far.[/quote]
Many thanks!
Post by: ivandogovich on August 16, 2016, 05:58:59 pm
...I'm asking whether there's any interest in me sharing my RAW changes (as in, I don't have the time or inclination to support or extensively document anything) to X-Com Files?
I think, Juku121, that many of the things you have mentioned are interesting and useful. Please post a .zip of your modded version for others to examine. :) Thanks!
Post by: Meridian on August 17, 2016, 10:16:26 am
I know, and it's baffling me... I need to consult Meridian.
You have 66 nationalities instead of 33 :)
Delete or comment out these lines in "soldiers_XCOMFILES.rul"
Code: [Select]
soldierNames:
- SoldierName/
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 17, 2016, 10:58:55 am
You have 66 nationalities instead of 33 :)
Delete or comment out these lines in "soldiers_XCOMFILES.rul"Code: [Select]soldierNames:
- SoldierName/
Lol, thanks :)
Post by: Meridian on August 17, 2016, 11:09:50 am
Hmm... I can't remember this happening, but I'll keep an eye on it.
The "Lost in Service" GUI is using the same interface rules as Soldier Memorial.
You have overridden it in "interfaces_XCOMFILES.rul", but didn't specify the "color2" on "list".
Code: [Select]
- type: soldierMemorial
music: GMLOSE
palette: PAL_BASESCAPE
elements:
- id: palette
color: 7 # violet
- id: window
color: 218 # blue
- id: text
color: 218 # blue
color2: 208 # white
- id: list
color: 246 # purple
color2: 218 # blue <--------------- add this and it will work
border: 218 # blue
- id: button
color: 218 # blue
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 17, 2016, 11:12:46 am
To be honest, I never noticed. Maybe I should be losing more men. :P
Post by: Meridian on August 17, 2016, 11:16:36 am
Post by: niculinux on August 17, 2016, 11:30:44 am
As for the "Diary" screen, I think niculinux just didn't upgrade correctly... he's missing translations as well and I think he's missing interface rules too...
For technical sake, the 0.2.4 was my very first try, never downliad and used the mod before :)
Post by: Meridian on August 17, 2016, 11:37:56 am
For technical sake, the 0.2.4 was my very first try, never downliad and used the mod before :)
OK, let me correct my statement, just need to change one word:
As for the "Diary" screen, I think niculinux just didn't install correctly... he's missing translations as well and I think he's missing interface rules too...
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 17, 2016, 11:41:53 am
OK, let me correct my statement, just need to change one word:
As for the "Diary" screen, I think niculinux just didn't install correctly... he's missing translations as well and I think he's missing interface rules too...
Burn! :)
Post by: niculinux on August 17, 2016, 11:45:07 am
#Solarius: in a cultist activity site, i shot one guy 6-7 times from a not so medium distance with a glock 18 and he was still up :o maybe it's a normal behavior?
Post by: Meridian on August 17, 2016, 11:54:57 am
You are the first.
I think I just gave up and will not try to reply to your comments anymore.
Post by: niculinux on August 17, 2016, 11:58:56 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 17, 2016, 12:39:16 pm
#Solarius: in a cultist activity site, i shot one guy 6-7 times from a not so medium distance with a glock 18 and he was still up :o maybe it's a normal behavior?
Depends. Which cultist? EXALT people wear bulletproof vests, for example.
No sorry Meridian, did not want to play the troll game, it's my real inexperience with PC and programming stuff.
Yea, because we're all expert programmers here... ::)
Post by: niculinux on August 17, 2016, 01:05:19 pm
Depends. Which cultist? EXALT people wear bulletproof vests, for example.
Bald guys, in jeans and white unshirts, holdin billhooks and shotguns, with an angry smily face :o
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 17, 2016, 01:18:22 pm
Bald guys, in jeans and white unshirts, holdin billhooks and shotguns, with an angry smily face :o
AFAIR the only bald ones are Black Lotus mooks, but they wear "karate clothes"... Unless I'm forgetting something.
Post by: niculinux on August 17, 2016, 01:26:49 pm
AFAIR the only bald ones are Black Lotus mooks, but they wear "karate clothes"... Unless I'm forgetting something.
That' s what i remember, hope i'm not 100% wrong. I shold have post a screenshot :( Maybe if i can, i will :)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 17, 2016, 01:29:10 pm
in jeans and white unshirts
That' s what i remember
SO WHICH ONE IS IT, THE KARATE CLOTHES OR THE JEANS?!
Post by: niculinux on August 17, 2016, 01:32:47 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 17, 2016, 01:36:13 pm
No jeans! i forgot! Sry again!!
Then it was probably an EXALT. (Who aren't bald by the way.)
They wear kevlar, but are otherwise squishy.
Post by: niculinux on August 17, 2016, 03:00:30 pm
Post by: HelmetHair on August 17, 2016, 03:47:53 pm
Post by: niculinux on August 17, 2016, 11:37:59 pm
This is like watching two jocks in skeleton costumes chase Ralph Macchio around a gym.
The line that won the internet!!
Hey Solarous, hope in the next version of Tentaculant Soups' Lasers reskin mod (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,2533.msg26087.html#msg26087) very underrated but original mod :)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 17, 2016, 11:41:15 pm
Hey Solarous, hope in the next version of Tentaculant Soups' Lasers reskin mod (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,2533.msg26087.html#msg26087) very underrated but original mod :)
That laser was in the FMP for at least a year.
(https://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/10500000/Master-Shifu-master-shifu-10552776-1080-540.jpg)
Post by: HelmetHair on August 18, 2016, 02:13:41 am
Post by: Juku121 on August 18, 2016, 01:00:36 pm
I've separated my changes into two archives:
Full (https://www.mediafire.com/download/d86k465f5sxy8dy/XComFiles_Juku121_full.7z)
(a dump of my X-Com Files mod directory) and
Lite (https://www.mediafire.com/download/5ym329nbo8p7lan/XComFiles_Juku121_lite.7z)
(a pruned version which should contain only the changed files; eats less space and gives a better overview of what's changed).
The documentation is contained in both archives and is also attached below.
I'm not interested in either getting or giving credit, so consider this a 'modder's resource' that borrows heavily from a number of people's work. I'm releasing it for free, no strings or requirements attached, but if anyone wants to use it in a public mod, they should credit people I've stolen from (most of whom should already be on the FMP credit list).
Hope my ideas serve as inspiration to somebody and good luck to Solarius with the monumental task he's taken on himself.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 19, 2016, 04:03:33 am
[18-08-2016 17:35:39] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 17:35:58] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 17:46:14] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 17:51:52] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 17:55:24] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 17:59:34] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 18:00:21] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 18:01:53] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 18:06:22] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 18:29:41] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 19:54:40] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 19:58:52] [ERROR] Map Script not found
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] A fatal error has occurred: code 0xc0000005
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] 0x769c3378 BaseThreadInitThunk (SymGetLineFromAddr64 failed: 487)
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] 0x770a989f RtlInitializeExceptionChain (SymGetLineFromAddr64 failed: 487)
[18-08-2016 19:59:47] [FATAL] 0x770a989f RtlInitializeExceptionChain (SymGetLineFromAddr64 failed: 487)
[18-08-2016 19:59:48] [FATAL] Crash dump generated at C:\Users\Derp\Desktop\Open Xfiles\user\18-08-2016_19-59-47.dmp
[18-08-2016 19:59:56] [FATAL] OpenXcom has crashed: code 0xc0000005
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 19, 2016, 10:34:48 am
OK, what kind of mission was it? What terrain?
Post by: HelmetHair on August 19, 2016, 03:31:55 pm
-HH
Post by: arrakis69ct on August 20, 2016, 02:13:11 am
Enviado desde mi ECOO E04 3GB mediante Tapatalk
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 20, 2016, 02:18:48 pm
The clip price of glock is Too high. The pistol 800 and the clip 400. This is normal when the Rest the clip price is over 10% of the gun???
Good point, fixed.
Also, I present you the Sick Bay.
Post by: arrakis69ct on August 20, 2016, 05:59:58 pm
In the ufopedia i dont see the ban
The weapon colt 45 is more similar to desert eagle may be rename.
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Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 20, 2016, 06:43:31 pm
In the ufopedia i dont see the ban
Can't see what?
The weapon colt 45 is more similar to desert eagle may be rename.
There's already an Eagle too...
Post by: arrakis69ct on August 20, 2016, 07:06:24 pm
Another quest. I see a number Green in some weapon s. Whats mean?
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Post by: HelmetHair on August 20, 2016, 07:48:36 pm
Post by: arrakis69ct on August 20, 2016, 07:51:41 pm
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Post by: HelmetHair on August 20, 2016, 08:36:55 pm
in game
There are weapons that you can use with one hand, but get full accuracy with two and others that you MUST (pretty much) use two hands to use. Pump action shotgun vs. crossbow.
I know. In reality running a pump action shotgun one handed is pretty outlandish. You CAN do it as demonstrated by movies, the realities of Miami Dade shootout in the 90s and now currrent various state police and FBI training. I've personally shot skeet (sporting clays) with a gentleman who had suffered a stroke and only had use of one hand. All of the techniques I have seen demonstrated look goofy as fuck. Lucky for us it is a game :)
The 1911 doesn't look terrible, but it isn't perfect either. Honestly it looks more like the Hi-power because of the contours of the slide are swept too close to the barrel and the hammer and slide area seem to split the difference between these designs. The transistion from dovetail to grip is too sharp for for 1911, but there are chunky hints at a grip safety of the 1911. I give it a B+ simply because some things I know could be better executed, but it is pixel art.... so it is a fucking Rembrandt :)
Have a good one!!!
-HH
Post by: arrakis69ct on August 20, 2016, 09:40:23 pm
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Post by: arrakis69ct on August 24, 2016, 05:00:58 pm
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Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 24, 2016, 09:50:19 pm
A question. In this mod is important to creaste a link of bases to cover all territory similar in fmp or the radars are useless than fmp. Thx
Not really, at least not in early game. You have no means of shooting down UFOs anyway, and you are notified of all other events.
Once you have proper fighters and such, you will want to have good radars, like in any other X-Com game.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 25, 2016, 05:11:59 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 25, 2016, 09:51:49 am
Obviously there has been some tweaking on the chupacabras. :o
Nope. I never touched them after they were implemented.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 25, 2016, 03:03:26 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 25, 2016, 04:45:06 pm
Never got them as a monster attack before now twice in two months RNG ftw. Hell missions. They are fast, sneaky and numerous and if you are lucky they don't eat the all the civvies in the first turn.
Yeah, I was worried they were too hardcore, but ultimately decided that not everything has to be similarly dangerous. A game with no variation would be dull. :P
Post by: JeyP on August 28, 2016, 01:02:23 am
We can talk about balancing when all elements and items will be in the mod but i really don't like beggining of the game right now.
1) Is it posible to make easier missions before logistics research? It's 15 days and i do nothing until then becouse it's imposible to do anything with only 2 men. Encouters should have 4-5 enemys max.
2) Entire car should work as a cover, right now it's only 1/3. When crouch only rear part of car protects from bullets.
3) dog - it's available from the beginning but we can't use him with car or van, if it imposible to do it, maybe just remove it ? Me and my trusty dog, thats would be a nice team.
Post by: arrakis69ct on August 28, 2016, 01:06:38 am
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Post by: HelmetHair on August 28, 2016, 02:12:58 am
Strategy with two men is to be prepared to leave asap. E flares to set up a kill zone at night and clear a piece of cover must happen first turn. Day time is much the same of using the car for cover. Check six EVERY TURN I mean EVERY turn.
You are not punished for retreating so if you have to leave, leave. if you can snatch a body or unconscious dude, do it. If you see a big monster, leave unless you have heavy weapons like the nitro rifle and cover.
keep stims and medical gel spray handy if you have them.
oh and take your strongest men. Two agent teams are WAY more physical in that you need to be strong enough to grab stuff and carry equipment.
I've cleared cult outposts with two men... Jesus it sucked but it is doable. the car has a really roomy trunk btw.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 28, 2016, 03:23:35 am
1) Is it posible to make easier missions before logistics research? It's 15 days and i do nothing until then becouse it's imposible to do anything with only 2 men. Encouters should have 4-5 enemys max.
I'll think about it. Yes, some balance is still in order. But as HelmetHair said, two people are not exactly useless... Well, not every time anyway.
2) Entire car should work as a cover, right now it's only 1/3. When crouch only rear part of car protects from bullets.
All of its segments act as cover, and a pretty even one... So I'm not sure what you mean. But I reviewed the MCD and made the car a bit bigger, voxel-wise; hopefully it helps. It was indeed a bit strange...
3) dog - it's available from the beginning but we can't use him with car or van, if it imposible to do it, maybe just remove it ? Me and my trusty dog, thats would be a nice team.
I'm in the process of dealing with this problem. Maybe the next update, maybe the one after. (The idea is to make dogs into a type of soldier, not HWP, with some limitations like not being able to drive.)
Post by: HelmetHair on August 28, 2016, 07:21:33 am
Mission failed?
I haven't paid attention do items recovered as loot show up instantly at your base? if so then you could always hand wave and say a recovery team is involved.... you could even research better recovery team times as part of the logistics research tree.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 28, 2016, 01:13:40 pm
what if your soldiers all die and the dog is left.
Mission failed?
I'm not sure how exactly it works, yet.
I haven't paid attention do items recovered as loot show up instantly at your base? if so then you could always hand wave and say a recovery team is involved.... you could even research better recovery team times as part of the logistics research tree.
Yes, the game mechanics is that the loot appears in your base instantly, before the craft returns. We'll see how it works.
Post by: JeyP on August 28, 2016, 11:53:25 pm
I'll think about it. Yes, some balance is still in order. But as HelmetHair said, two people are not exactly useless... Well, not every time anyway.
Everyone have different opinion on the same thing. You are a creator and do what your vision tell you to do. For me it's wrong fighting hordes from the begining. In X-Com we know that we fighting with superior alien life form so it's ok, but in X-Files we trying to find out what's going on.
All of its segments act as cover, and a pretty even one... So I'm not sure what you mean. But I reviewed the MCD and made the car a bit bigger, voxel-wise; hopefully it helps. It was indeed a bit strange...
Dont'k know enything about OpenXcom moding and where different entries are so i don't look for errors in code just write how things work in game. Look at the screen. All the soldiers crouched.
1 can hit a can hit 1
2 can hit b can hit 2
3 No line of fire c can hit 3
4 No line of fire d can hit 4
5 can hit e can hit 5
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 29, 2016, 01:05:07 am
Post by: Starving Poet on August 29, 2016, 03:43:39 am
what if your soldiers all die and the dog is left.
(https://41dcdfcd4dea0e5aba20-931851ca4d0d7cdafe33022cf8264a37.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/11228084_death-road-to-canada-preview---does-it_1eb987d2_m.jpg?bg=7C756C)
Post by: new_civilian on August 29, 2016, 11:27:19 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 29, 2016, 12:20:50 pm
Quick debug-option-test: The elerium mace bigob gif uses the wrong kind of transparency, needs an update. There are a lot of missing STRs, but ok it's an alpha...
Good catch with the Elerium Mace.
As for the strings, yeah, they're gradually being added.
Post by: ivandogovich on August 29, 2016, 03:37:47 pm
HOW DO I INSTALL THIS MOD?
- Unpack the mod. It will create a complete OpenXcom_XFiles folder with all the files that you need; it will contain the correct nightly version and Yankes' and Meridian's custom .exe named "OpenXcomExPlus.exe".
- Copy files from your original "UFO: Enemy Unknown"/"X-Com: UFO Defense" folder to the "OpenXcom_XFiles/UFO" folder.
- Use OpenXcomExPlus.exe to run the game.
- Enable the mod from the mod selection menu.
I'm also including applying the Universal Patch after I copy the original files. If you don't want this step in the video, let me know. :)
Thanks!
Post by: yrizoud on August 29, 2016, 05:53:18 pm
- enables the mod
- sets any option which is preferred for XComfiles (ie. language, range-based accuracy)
Post by: Nord on August 30, 2016, 11:04:03 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 30, 2016, 12:53:25 pm
Hmm this reminds me, wouldn't it be better if the mod included a stripped config file, which only :
- enables the mod
- sets any option which is preferred for XComfiles (ie. language, range-based accuracy)
Is it possible to distribute a partial config? If yes, it sounds good.
Is this bug or feature, that sniper rifle does less damage, than hunting rifle?
How? Hunting Rifle does 33 damage. Sniper rifle does 30 damage + 0.25 Firing Accuracy, which is more than 33 even for a poorly trained agent, and sniper rifles are meant to be used by marksmen (or they won't hit).
Also is it possible to place soldiers in the beginning of battle back to back? I mean back to car/van and face to danger.
Yes, it's possible, but facing to the sides seems more natural after getting out of the car. Or am I wrong?
Post by: HelmetHair on August 30, 2016, 02:31:13 pm
Is this bug or feature, that sniper rifle does less damage, than hunting rifle?
Nord,
It isn't a bug...at least it isn't a bug in this mod. I believe it is a combination of lack of foresight, balance taken from a different mod and 0-200% damage calculation.
I'm going to assume you experienced the marshmallow bullet problem. It seems suddenly that for some reason that you are shooting dudes with marshmallows or pillows while the enemy suddenly starts killing your men with 1 shot.
I have my own pet theory (that is a bug) on why this happens which I'm not going to share here, but let me give you some advice to counter it.
1.TFTD damage calculation
2. Nitro rifle
3. keep playing.
Don't expect anyone else in the OXC community to care about what you experienced at the hands of RNG. You will only hear the same tired appeals to authority of "X did it" or "It's fine like it is" or "You can play something else" or some other bullshit, so be prepared.
Regards,
-HH
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 30, 2016, 02:36:08 pm
Nord,
It isn't a bug...at least it isn't a bug in this mod. I believe it is a combination of lack of foresight, balance taken from a different mod and 0-200% damage calculation.
Lawl.
No, it's the fact that the information about the bonus damage is missing from the Ufopaedia. Which is wrong and I apologize, will be fixed in the next release.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 30, 2016, 05:16:26 pm
Ass U me= assume :)
There I go proving I'm an ass.
-HH
Post by: JeyP on August 30, 2016, 06:34:35 pm
-Cult Activity Investigation Crash. Attached log. (need dmp file?)
-First month. Mission witch 49 zombies. Need 3-4 hit for kill. That was a long mission. Good that i had spare clips in the van.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 30, 2016, 07:33:53 pm
-All this talk reminded me, how to change to TFTD damage model (there is no mod option like in Nightlies) or to 50-200%. Don't like 0 becouse it's stupid when you have % chance to hit and when you hit it's 0 dmg.
Unfortunately I am not aware of this option.
But... stupid? Quite the opposite. The TFTD damage is not only bad for the game balance, but it's also unrealistic, unless you are using Dalek death rays. It's an old argument here, please check for example this thread: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4825.0.html for details.
-Cult Activity Investigation Crash. Attached log. (need dmp file?)
If you had a save game, it would be good. There is an elusive crash, it might be this.
-First month. Mission witch 49 zombies. Need 3-4 hit for kill. That was a long mission. Good that i had spare clips in the van.
Yeah, these missions sometimes take long... But I really like them. :P
Post by: JeyP on August 30, 2016, 11:58:46 pm
Unfortunately I am not aware of this option.
But... stupid? Quite the opposite. The TFTD damage is not only bad for the game balance, but it's also unrealistic, unless you are using Dalek death rays. It's an old argument here, please check for example this thread: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4825.0.html for details.
Beauty of PC gaming. "Don't like it? Change it!" For me it's stupid and it always be. Someone with good imagination can think about some randome events that caused a miss hit but for me it's just a game limitation. If it was better made and occure before shoot like weapons durability and jam (something like JA2) it would be good. Still remember plaing X-Com back in the day, losing soldiers in one hit and this happy feel when one survive after hit. Would like to see my facial expression when i saw no damage from taking plasma to the face. Thought that was a game bug. When i hit somthing it need to "bleed" i am ok with 10% but not with 0%.
If you had a save game, it would be good. There is an elusive crash, it might be this.
Save attached.
Yeah, these missions sometimes take long... But I really like them. :P
Not a big fan. Maybe witch better weapons not pistols. It's like ducks shooting except ducks can fly away and zombies just wander around. Probably it's a AI limitations but all mele enemies act just the same. Would be nice to have ~15 aggressive (or even more with lower TU) enemies that go straight at you.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 31, 2016, 12:51:04 am
Beauty of PC gaming. "Don't like it? Change it!" For me it's stupid and it always be. Someone with good imagination can think about some randome events that caused a miss hit but for me it's just a game limitation. If it was better made and occure before shoot like weapons durability and jam (something like JA2) it would be good. Still remember plaing X-Com back in the day, losing soldiers in one hit and this happy feel when one survive after hit. Would like to see my facial expression when i saw no damage from taking plasma to the face. Thought that was a game bug. When i hit somthing it need to "bleed" i am ok with 10% but not with 0%.
Oh, I don't mind if you or anyone play at TFTD rules, I was merely stating a view. And well, the mod is balanced for the X-Com formula.
But I would like to add that the X-Com interface is simple, so many things are approximations. 0 is also an approximation, meaning "no loss of combat capability". I'm fine with that. Maybe that plasma bolt only burned off some of that soldiers' jacket. Or the bullet was stopped by a Bible in their pocket. (OK, that last one probably isn't the best example.)
Save attached.
Thanks. Yeah, it crashes... I have no idea why, my analysis of the save shows correct deployment, mission and such. I'll try to investigate further...
Not a big fan. Maybe witch better weapons not pistols. It's like ducks shooting except ducks can fly away and zombies just wander around. Probably it's a AI limitations but all mele enemies act just the same. Would be nice to have ~15 aggressive (or even more with lower TU) enemies that go straight at you.
Well, I was hoping spiders and chupacabras would fill this role... But I'm going to expand the list of creatures if I can!
Post by: yrizoud on August 31, 2016, 12:59:37 am
Post by: new_civilian on August 31, 2016, 11:57:04 am
As you might have guessed: I just watched a documentation about parasitic worms controlling grashoppers.... if you need nightmares, go google it. :P
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 31, 2016, 12:07:36 pm
I have an idea for an alien unit: Make it a symbiotic being existing of two beings, one controlling the other. If the combined unit gets killed spawn a tiny parasite (the controlling unit).
As you might have guessed: I just watched a documentation about parasitic worms controlling grashoppers.... if you need nightmares, go google it. :P
Yes, I'm all for this kind of stuff. :)
But the implementation needs a lot of thinking. What mission? Where? What resources to use? Do I need to draw the terain? Oh please, no new terrains... :)
Post by: new_civilian on August 31, 2016, 12:15:34 pm
Oooooohh, Maybe the zombies???!!! :o
That would explain them!
Post by: JeyP on August 31, 2016, 01:19:25 pm
"These infected humans has been completely overtaken by an alien parasite." - Ufopedia
Thanks. Yeah, it crashes... I have no idea why, my analysis of the save shows correct deployment, mission and such. I'll try to investigate further...
Doesn't crash after waiting few days. Haw that works ? It generate different mission after some time ?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 31, 2016, 02:18:46 pm
That way it would be just like any other enemy but with cool story and yes zombies are already like that.
"These infected humans has been completely overtaken by an alien parasite." - Ufopedia
Well yes, although there is more to the zombies. :) It'll be here when I manage to add new units.
Doesn't crash after waiting few days. Haw that works ? It generate different mission after some time ?
Meridian found the problem; turned out there was indeed a (rare) bug in deployments. Will be fixed with the next release.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 31, 2016, 04:14:02 pm
The TFTD damage is not only bad for the game balance, but it's also unrealistic, unless you are using Dalek death rays.
As unrealistic as, let's say.... A secret U.N. program designed to fight aliens without the correct equipment? :)
It's a fucking game and a fun one too. All the bitching and complaining? It shows we live pretty decent lives.
-HH
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 31, 2016, 04:53:09 pm
As unrealistic as, let's say.... A secret U.N. program designed to fight aliens without the correct equipment? :)
It's a fucking game and a fun one too. All the bitching and complaining? It shows we live pretty decent lives.
Then no discussion about games makes sense. It's just a game, right? What are you doing here by the way, wasting your life on some silly game forum? Go do something meaningful! :P
Of course a game is a model representing a part of a greater reality. The realism of X-Com as an organization is not a theme of the game, and therefore outside the fragment of reality it represents. Whats important is that X-Com exists, not how and why; for all we know, it could be a parallel universe where certain things went differently in world politics. Or something else. (X-Com Files sort of aims to address this, to a degree.)
But combat is within the scope of interest of X-Com no matter how simplified it is), so I expect it to make more sense. And I find flat TFTD damage annoying, because it feels artificial to me. That's all there is!
Post by: Arthanor on August 31, 2016, 05:44:27 pm
Back "on topic": Realism in physics and realism in story are two different things. Striving for one does not necessarily imply striving for the other. There's plenty of stories with unrealistic physics upon which great, sort of believable, entertaining stories are built. (ex.: Dune Lasgun-Shield interactions: why the hell would the gun blow up from hitting the shield? The shield is sending something back it it in a directed way?! And they both have in them power sources as powerful as nuclear bombs yet man portable? Please It's done because the author needed it to tell his story and wanted knife fights. Also, why not spears/swords? Anyhow.. this isn't about Dune sorry). There are also unbelievable stories in which the physics are totally fine, or any other combination.
Solarius has a story he wants to tell and does it with this mod. Whether you think it's a realistic one or not (and whether you enjoy it) is up to you and should have little bearing on the story because it's Solarius' to tell (since it is a work in evolution, fair, constructive criticism should be, and I feel is, welcome). If you don't want to experience the struggle of a secret organization trying to fight the alien invasion and terran bureaucracy at the same time, and obviously that's the story Solarius wants to tell, then just go to another story: Either lead the rebellious girls of the dystopian future, the poor soldiers fighting aliens with a hard-on, or the heroic soldiers fighting for the council and the good of Earth, something else, or just vanilla with some extra stuff. There's quite some choice!
Now in any XCom mod, the experience relies on combat and trying to achieve believable combat is a universal goal because nobody is interested in the story of "and everyone has wonky guns" (which includes both "guns that do nothing most of the time" and "guns that always kill" as both are ridiculous). Of course, there are different philosophies about what believable combat is and how it should be approximated using the current engine. The discussion has already occurred in an already lengthy thread for Piratez. I, for one, have been convinced a while ago by Dioxine that the flat distribution works best given the engine's fighting mechanics as a whole (it makes low armor still valuable, high armor less impervious, for one thing, which I consider good). Should we use a different distribution if the engine was better? Of course! But the engine is not better, it's the engine we have. Using it, many, including two of our foremost modders of which one is the author of this mod, believe that the 0-200% distribution is best. If the actual argument of how it works better given the engine doesn't convince you, at least the fact that it is a reasoned decision should placate you from complaining too regularly about it instead trying to support their really outstanding, entertaining and free work.
Also, luckily, it's a single player game and you can mod their master mod without affecting anyone else's experience, so there's an easy (a fraction of the work Dioxine and Solarius have put in their mod) way to "fix" guns to improve your own experience.
Post by: ivandogovich on August 31, 2016, 05:55:04 pm
HelmetHair is right on one thing: If we have time/energy to waste in arguing about games, we have pretty decent lives. First world problems and all that. It is funny to see how us privileged people can get riled up on such little things. I think his comment was mostly to poke fun at the situation :) A kind of "I stepped back, realized it's a minuscule problem and how lucky we are to be able to consider it as something worth spending time on. This is all just fun and nothing personal/life affecting. Let's be chill." with which I wholeheartedly agree.
Back "on topic": Realism in physics and realism in story are two different things. Striving for one does not necessarily imply striving for the other. There's plenty of stories with unrealistic physics upon which great, sort of believable, entertaining stories are built. (ex.: Dune Lasgun-Shield interactions: why the hell would the gun blow up from hitting the shield? The shield is sending something back it it in a directed way?! And they both have in them power sources as powerful as nuclear bombs yet man portable? Please It's done because the author needed it to tell his story and wanted knife fights. Also, why not spears/swords? Anyhow.. this isn't about Dune sorry). There are also unbelievable stories in which the physics are totally fine, or any other combination.
Solarius has a story he wants to tell and does it with this mod. Whether you think it's a realistic one or not (and whether you enjoy it) is up to you and should have little bearing on the story because it's Solarius' to tell (since it is a work in evolution, fair, constructive criticism should be, and I feel is, welcome). If you don't want to experience the struggle of a secret organization trying to fight the alien invasion and terran bureaucracy at the same time, and obviously that's the story Solarius wants to tell, then just go to another story: Either lead the rebellious girls of the dystopian future, the poor soldiers fighting aliens with a hard-on, or the heroic soldiers fighting for the council and the good of Earth, something else, or just vanilla with some extra stuff. There's quite some choice!
Now in any XCom mod, the experience relies on combat and trying to achieve believable combat is a universal goal because nobody is interested in the story of "and everyone has wonky guns" (which includes both "guns that do nothing sometimes" and "guns that always kill" as both are ridiculous). Of course, there are different philosophies about what believable combat is and how it should be approximated using the current engine. The discussion has already occurred in an already lengthy thread for Piratez. I, for one, have been convinced a while ago by Dioxine that the flat distribution works best given the engine's fighting mechanics as a whole (it makes low armor still valuable, high armor less impervious, for one thing, which I consider good). Should we use a different distribution if the engine was better? Of course! But the engine is not better, it's the engine we have. Using it, many, including two of our foremost modders of which one is the author of this mod, believe that the 0-200% distribution is best. If the actual argument of how it works better given the engine doesn't convince you, at least the fact that it is a reasoned decision should placate you from complaining too regularly about it instead trying to support their really outstanding, entertaining and free work.
Also, luckily, it's a single player game and you can mod their master mod without affecting anyone else's experience, so there's an easy (a fraction of the work Dioxine and Solarius have put in their mod) way to "fix" guns to improve your own experience.
+ 100. Eloquent and excellent reasoning! Thanks, Arthanor!!!
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 31, 2016, 06:43:45 pm
Though my first world would be better if my mod stopped crashing. :P I already asked Meridian twice today, he helped every time, now I'm getting another crash...
I hope to release something when this problem is over, because 1) the current XCF version is very unstable and 2) there's some good new stuff (though not THAT much).
Post by: Arthanor on August 31, 2016, 07:48:22 pm
Don't let that get to you! I'm looking forward to the next release as the "power armor parts grind" is getting a bit tedious. Seems like your mod would be the perfect breath of fresh air.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 31, 2016, 07:52:49 pm
Don't let that get to you! I'm looking forward to the next release as the "power armor parts grind" is getting a bit tedious. Seems like your mod would be the perfect breath of fresh air.
Thanks, that's really nice to hear. Though I don't think the next release will be "ready" enough, unless you don't play a lot and can upgrade along the way. I just have so much I plan to add! :)
Anyway, I asked Meridian, he'll look into this.
Post by: Arthanor on August 31, 2016, 08:05:45 pm
The current level of development sounds perfect for messing around a bit when I don't feel like raiding Guild Gunship #14513. Provided you don't add missions that get blocked by progressing past a certain point/time, hopefully there will be little problems with upgrading. I have some experience with Piratez any ways, that campaign is so long I've gone through enough updates to get used to it.
Post by: HelmetHair on August 31, 2016, 08:21:18 pm
Then no discussion about games makes sense. It's just a game, right? What are you doing here by the way, wasting your life on some silly game forum? Go do something meaningful! :P
Sol,
I'm going to place everything else aside...
Dude... I was poking fun at you a little, and not in a mean way. Just as you poke fun at me and I don't take it in a mean way. However, when something makes sense to you, it does not mean it automatically makes sense to me. This is not bad, this not good, it simply is. We are so lucky to be able to even have this conversation... Everything condsidered; that's all I meant.
Now, on the aspect of doing something meaningful with my life?
I design, fabricate, and fit prosthetic limbs and orthotic devices 3-4 days a week for no pay. Most of my clients are SALTY old veterans, diabetics and children with congenital abnormalities. I work a weekend job fri-sun overnights to provide for my family and to continue to do what I do in an effort to ease the suffering of others. That has no bearing on OXC, but it is the meaning I found in my life.
XCF is just a wonderful distraction from borderline functional alcoholism. :o
I've not been explicit, but I will be now...
YOU. DO. NOT. HAVE. TO. JUSTIFY. ANYTHING. TO. ANYONE!
least of all me.... ok?
Tell your story and don't sweat pissants like me.
Have a wonderful day!
-HH
P.S. My forum character and me personally are different, you have to know that... One is quiet, buttoned down, and never rude... The other is brash, doesn't give a fuck about anything and is trite with a capital T.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 31, 2016, 08:39:48 pm
Anyway, the bug was found within seconds by Meridian the Hunter. I'll test some more and post when I think it's mostly safe.
PS. I'd love to see some pictures of your work! Prosthetics are fascinating.
EDIT:
Juku, I started browsing your version. Impressive. I'll probably include something, but it's complicated; for example I already added a plasma SMG of sorts which is completely different.
I also think it would be best if you made your mod as an expansion to mine. It would be much slimmer, since it would only include the changes, and also much easier to handle (by me, heh). You may specify in the metadata that your mod requires something else to work.
Post by: HelmetHair on September 01, 2016, 01:15:09 am
I will not show devices on patients or an individuals residual limb this would be a privacy violation and falls under the category of profession moral hazard as well as a personal breach of trust.
I can however; show castings, the steps and the end product, but not donned. I am willing to describe in general terms the etiology, pathology, technical challenges, materials, components and my failures.... Jesus, I've failed people despite my best efforts.
anyways, after I get home I'll post a few.
-HH
Post by: Juku121 on September 01, 2016, 08:28:53 pm
Quote
Juku, I started browsing your version. Impressive. I'll probably include something, but it's complicated; for example I already added a plasma SMG of sorts which is completely different.
I also think it would be best if you made your mod as an expansion to mine. It would be much slimmer, since it would only include the changes, and also much easier to handle (by me, heh). You may specify in the metadata that your mod requires something else to work.
Well, I can't guarantee that I'd be able to do much in the near future (new (school)year, new people to teach at uni). There are also large swathes of unfinished work (item pricing and manufacture costs are rather ... random, especially all my new additions; I never got to the enemy stats overhaul, Meridian keeps adding new stuff I'd like to make use of at some point, and I've discovered and fixed a bunch of errors (I *think* they were all my own, not yours ;)) since I posted my files).
Basically, I think there are a couple of unquestionably nice ideas (briefings on enemy resistances etc), some more controversial ones (Alien weapons must be converted/rebuilt before use) and quite a few rather random things (Psi-Suits, because I could). I mean what I said: use what changes/graphics you find to your liking, ignore the rest. My .rul files are close enough to yours that just comparing them with some file comparison tool should cut down on your work quite a bit. It'd be a shame to let all the work go unused and I'm currently not able to sustain and support a submod.
Post by: HelmetHair on September 02, 2016, 01:24:09 am
Here is a small sample of what I have and I'll describe them as I go.
This first set is one that is close to my heart....
This is a bit of prosthesis/ orthosis.... let me explain.
First, I'm pretty certain that you know nothing about rodeo work or working horsemanship such as cattle wrangling. I don't expect you to, and it's fine if you do or don't.
Anyway, Thumb injuries are really common in roping cattle, specifically in what is called team roping; specifcally "heeling" that is getting a rope around the back legs of the steer (neutered bull) while your partner "heads" the steer by getting a rope around his horns or neck or WTFE they can. The problem is the process called Dallying, that is pulling the steer with a rope, if you miss the dally your finger/thumb gets caught between the horn of the saddle and the rope.... and comes off. I've included a video link that shows a kid who got lucky and just how fast it can happen... he's heeling.
Old cowboys... if you ever get to looking at their hands... you can see how fucked up they are missing pieces of or complete fingers; it is the nature of the beast. A professional rodeo roper can win a few hundred thousand dollars a year... if they are good and most of these people are young, hardy, strong men and women who are incredible people who have been in an accident.... Anyway, I digress.
I had a patient who was about a year post amputation after losing a thumb and was mostly annoyed that they would bang their residuial thumb into stuff and it hurt. This is because your hands are incredibly innervated (duh) and surgical technique currently encourage neuroma formation. A neuroma is a cluster of nerve tissue that is balled up and sensitive... think like a pain/pressure/hot/cold button attached directly to your nervous sytem; because that is what it is.
I built a protective prostheses a touch longer so they could get their thumb into opposition and keep that tender end all nice and comfy. I actually built several... a few in silicone for daily wear, and a few utilising carbon fiber and thermoformed padding. In either case it worked out and I managed to allow my patient to not only be more comfortable, but resume roping using learned technique.... score. Also, being carbon fiber and done correctly it wouldn't crush in the event of a misdally.... Score.
Anyways, I have more.... just a hectice day.
video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_sauqj6-SY
-HH
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 02, 2016, 02:14:43 am
BTW what's a dally? All dictionaries only seem to know it as a verb... :)
Post by: Arthanor on September 02, 2016, 02:53:31 am
Solarius: I'm looking forward to your next release to start a campaign. How's that bug fixed version coming up? :P (No pressure, just keen interest!)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 02, 2016, 03:21:01 am
I'm looking forward to your next release to start a campaign. How's that bug fixed version coming up? :P (No pressure, just keen interest!)
Meridian helped me resolve this, so for the past day or so I was adding stuff, polishing articles and so on... But I cannot remain indifferent to such interest! So, version 0.3 is online.
I was hesitant to call it 0.3, since a new decimal number should only appear when a new arc is complete, and in this case it isn't. But the Cyberweb arc is huge and I'll probably take a break from it before it's done, especially since it smoothly leads to the next arc while already requiring much of its resources... So I'm releasing the first "episode" of Cyberweb now, and the rest will have to wait.
Now, what's inside?
- Started the Cyberweb arc. The new terrain is kinda ramshackle, I will work on it more.
- Prisoners are now divided between aliens, humans and animals, each with their own facility. Alien Containment is researchable.
- Added Sick Bay facility.
- Added Groza assault rifle.
- Added Blackops Sniper Rifle.
- Rebalanced shotguns (again) for the new pellet calculation system. (Now they can actually hit something.)
- New Magnum sprite, by Yrizoud.
- Decreased Glock clip price.
- Flare Pistol is now concealable, like other pistols. (At least unless it is used, then it becomes the total opposite of concealable.)
- Standard plasma weapons now use Gaussian formula for damage, meaning they will get average results much more often. This is kinda experimental, so I hope it works and doesn't break anything!
- Taser only has Aimed Shots now. This is to prevent agents from using it in reactions - it's a taser, not a six-shooter.
- Added some Ufopaedia pages about weapon types.
- Added more info to some Ufopaedia weapon entries.
- Improved some Ufopaedia articles (with help from Juku - now the Ufopaedia is 10% less Polandball-like).
- Reordered some articles (work in progress).
- Added more fluff articles, including Meridian the Hunter (a donation prize).
- Fixed SOLFOREST14 map, by Dioxine.
- Added four city map blocks by Civilian.
- Fixed X-Com car map. Now its middle section is actually taller.
- Added new death screams, for all humans. And I think they're hilarious.
- Fixed personal files page palette issues.
- Fixed a missing research for Obliterator.
- Fixed a wrong terrain for the cult outpost.
- Added small personal lights to all armours.
I didn't use the new pilot mechanics, because I'm not sure if X-Com agents should pilot jet fighters...
Post by: HelmetHair on September 02, 2016, 05:37:18 am
The best form is for it to be done thumb up, but most cowboys (and girls) will complain about a loss of control etc,... fine. However even that event the rope should be wrapped counter-clockwise with steer to the left and clockwise with steer to the right to prevent the thumb from being pinched.... at least in a typical team rope. some times shit happens and then people "misdally" which is to dally thumb down or wrap wrong and boom thumb goes flying.
Yeah, I hate the fact that it happens. It isn't usually the old dudes either... it is the young guys and gals. 17,18,19,20 who get their shit wrecked. It pisses me off... but what am I gonna do? tell them they can't? No. Warn them to use proper technique and gear? Yes.
The next is a Symes ampuatation that is in this day...quite rare. They are a bit of a pain in the ass to fit for, but can have great outcomes.
The advantage of a Symes amputation is that the residual limb is end bearing. If you Haven't seen one, google it... Basically it is an ankle disarticulation replacing the heel under the ankle mortis.... The talus is either preserved or removed, and the malleoli are left alone or trimmed; and either a myodesis or a myoplasty is performed. The best outcome for a young adult patient is preserved talus, trimmed malleoli and a decent myodesis. Which is the patient presented in my next photos.
Pretty straightforward amputation due to trauma, you can see there is no wasting and the patient trained hard to get back into their life. They were walking 4 weeks post op and running in 6. That is what determination looks like. This particular patient got into weight lifting and hiking etc again and the biggest accomodation had to make is that the patient would break down feet. We switched to cheap feet to get it done right. They are good with it... so I'm good with it.
SACH foot on a lacer of a modified Canadian VA design from 1945ish.
Carbon core, basalt transition layer, fiberglass abatement/ damage resistance layer with a polyester scrim ( for shine bruh :) )
The modifacations have to do with where it suspends on the patient. Positive lock on the patellar tendon for added weight bearing, reduction on the belly of the gastrocnemius, medial and lateral of the tibia with more weight bearing towards the lateral and 5 degrees of dorsiflexion for maximized and comfortable muscular potential.
These photos are fom during fabrication...
-HH
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 02, 2016, 05:57:24 am
(I wonder if I should split the thread...)
Post by: Arthanor on September 02, 2016, 06:51:38 am
I think my first duo will be Sol and Dio (Sun and God? What a team!!), we'll see how long they last!
Post by: niculinux on September 02, 2016, 01:23:38 pm
1) researching basic stuff may wrk as extended piratez, it should lead to some items buyable, not other ones to be researchd from scratch. Same should apply for (ifprogrammed) ak-47, ma-16 and so on..maybe the magun may be renamed .357 magnum or even better .44 magunm (dirty harry (https://rs86.pbsrc.com/albums/k90/22theman/dirtyharry.jpg~c200)would be happy 8) along luger, thompson 1929A (https://world.guns.ru/userfiles/images/smg/smg29/tommy_m1928.jpg) may fit as starting crap smg, improved version should be the uzi. The former may have the actual uzi damage (20) latter may have more (25-30?)
2) a starting buyable item may be also pepper spray (https://www.google.it/search?q=pepper+spray&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj55qfCuvDOAhXGPBQKHfx6BocQ_AUICCgB&biw=1422&bih=612), useful only agains human enemies. :)
Edit: as for 0.3, how, if any, changes from the user Juku121 verison (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4595.msg69465.html#msg69465) have been implemented? if noy, any of these are planned to be? Thanks again for the great mod!
Edit 2: as early-mid game, an IMI Negev may be fine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMI_Negev), later something a bit heavy like M60 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M60_machine_gun)
Edit 3:In general improved versions of weapons (electric baton) should be researchble and manufacturable, while the basic onles (eg stun baton (https://www.smartstun.com/assets/images/StunMaster300sb.jpg)) shoulb be unlocked in the market after some research on the right contact/dealers. Also, would be nice also to have an operative field suit (mimetic- paramilitary alike), the only outfit to support kevlar vests, quite uncommon to wear it on a "casual outfit". Maybe don't know if it might be doable, but whatever
Post by: Nord on September 02, 2016, 02:44:29 pm
First report: animal pen and prison has no ufopedia entry.
Post by: HelmetHair on September 02, 2016, 03:34:35 pm
Now, about 0.3...
Fuck yeah!
I'm pretty excited and ready to play it.
On the Taser, did you just eliminate the snapshot or replace snapshot with aimed shot for all values.... nevermind, I'll download and look.
-HH
Post by: Arthanor on September 03, 2016, 03:04:28 am
Somehow the "startingBase" isn't taken into account unless I set the mod as a master mod (isMaster: true in metadata). If I do things normally, the mod is loaded fine (I can see ufopaedia articles and stuff) but the starting base I get is the normal vanilla one with a skyranger and 2 interceptors. If I set it as master, it's missing a bunch of strings.
I compared the definitions with the Piratez one and can't find anything borked, so I'm at a loss of what to do. Any suggestion?
Edit: I sort of managed to fool it by setting the mod as master, starting a game, saving, unsetting the master, adding xcom1 to the list of mods and loading in a "modded xcom1" game. But that leaves a few things not working, like skyrangers and interceptors being available from the start which I assume shouldn't be (and a pump action shotgun?), so I stopped playing after reading the pedia articles.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 03, 2016, 01:48:13 pm
1) researching basic stuff may wrk as extended piratez, it should lead to some items buyable, not other ones to be researchd from scratch.
Ummm, that's how it is already...
In fact, X-Files were first in this regard. :P
Same should apply for (ifprogrammed) ak-47, ma-16 and so on..maybe the magun may be renamed .357 magnum or even better .44 magunm (dirty harry (https://rs86.pbsrc.com/albums/k90/22theman/dirtyharry.jpg~c200)would be happy 8) along luger, thompson 1929A (https://world.guns.ru/userfiles/images/smg/smg29/tommy_m1928.jpg) may fit as starting crap smg, improved version should be the uzi. The former may have the actual uzi damage (20) latter may have more (25-30?)
(...)
Edit 2: as early-mid game, an IMI Negev may be fine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMI_Negev), later something a bit heavy like M60 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M60_machine_gun)
This falls in the category of "moar weponz". I am not against it, but where would they fit? I don't want to clutter the shop with more and more weapons, because moderation is important. I could give it to enemies, but I'd need some new factions. :P
In short, adding weapons is relatively easy. But they must have a place first.
2) a starting buyable item may be also pepper spray (https://www.google.it/search?q=pepper+spray&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj55qfCuvDOAhXGPBQKHfx6BocQ_AUICCgB&biw=1422&bih=612), useful only agains human enemies. :)
I'll think about this one, could be amusing.
Edit: as for 0.3, how, if any, changes from the user Juku121 verison (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4595.msg69465.html#msg69465) have been implemented? if noy, any of these are planned to be? Thanks again for the great mod!
For now, just some description corrections. (More along the way, haven't finished fixing the strings yet.) Oh, and plasma damage roll modification, although Juku used TFTD damage and I decided to use Gaussian instead, but the result is similar.
Edit 3:In general improved versions of weapons (electric baton) should be researchble and manufacturable, while the basic onles (eg stun baton (https://www.smartstun.com/assets/images/StunMaster300sb.jpg)) shoulb be unlocked in the market after some research on the right contact/dealers.
Yes, it's called STUN ROD. :P
Also, would be nice also to have an operative field suit (mimetic- paramilitary alike), the only outfit to support kevlar vests, quite uncommon to wear it on a "casual outfit". Maybe don't know if it might be doable, but whatever
It's doable, like the Guerilla armour from Piratez which gives some camo. But I'm not sure what to do with it yet.
New version? Good... New game must be started, or old saves will work?
They should work.
First report: animal pen and prison has no ufopedia entry.
Oops. Yeah, they shouldn't have
Code: [Select]
requires:
- STR_SICK_BAY in their Ufopaedia entries. Thanks for the report! Attaching a quick fix.Up to you.... On splitting the thread. I'll share more if you wish... or shut up :)
I don't mind if it continues here. :) At least if it's not too overwhelming.
On the Taser, did you just eliminate the snapshot or replace snapshot with aimed shot for all values.... nevermind, I'll download and look.
I've only changed snapShot to aimedShot. The stats and general behaviour are the same, except you can't reaction fire with it.
Well, I compiled a new executable for that tasty night vision, downloaded version 0.3 and set everything up, but something's messed up. (...)
Well, I am at a loss...it seems to work for everyone else. I'd like to help, but I have no idea what could be wrong... I think Meridian might be of help. I'll consult Dioxine too.
Post by: arrakis69ct on September 03, 2016, 02:41:03 pm
Not problem to start again
Enviado desde mi ECOO E04 3GB mediante Tapatalk
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 03, 2016, 04:22:23 pm
I need to start New Game. In my old Game i have 3 bases in build. But now the rooms are random and building room that i not research....
To be honest I don't understand, but I think your problem is containment facilities. The change between the previous version and the current one is that in the old one there was only one type of "prison", the Alien Containment, while in the new one there are three different types. But this shouldn't cause problems other than you may have Alien Containment before you research it, but it's just a "bonus". And you'll have to build the other two, of course.
I'm still worried about what Arthanor reported... The problem with setting XCF as a master is that is still relies on X-Com rulesets (although increasingly less). And besides, XCF has some high listOrder numbers (particularly the handobs), which is known to cause problems in masters.
Post by: Arthanor on September 03, 2016, 06:28:31 pm
Well, I am at a loss...it seems to work for everyone else. I'd like to help, but I have no idea what could be wrong... I think Meridian might be of help. I'll consult Dioxine too.
Well, I'm at a loss too! I messed around a little bit with the metadata and ruleset names (thinking maybe the ID was too long/shouldn't have '-' or that the ruleset names were too long) and suddenly it worked! Then since I wasn't sure how I fixed it, I removed everything and reinstalled the mod, and it still worked?!
I even removed x-com-files from loaded mods in the config and reloaded as if the game never knew about the mod, and it works. So I don't know.. but the important thing is: it's working :D
Post by: Nord on September 04, 2016, 12:35:13 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 04, 2016, 04:14:36 am
Solarius, please, maybe it will be good to rename research projects "swarmids" and "swarmids corpse" by adding a word "small". Because no ufopedia entry after these projects confuses me. (When large versions is not researched)
I'm not sure I understand, I guess I'll need to test it further.
Post by: HelmetHair on September 04, 2016, 08:09:05 am
earlier today I had an issue where I went on a black lotus dossier capture mission.
found the dude and stunned him to end the mission... it threw an error string error pertaining to alien containment. no points no capture etc.
thoughts?
Post by: Nord on September 04, 2016, 08:42:56 am
I'm not sure I understand, I guess I'll need to test it further.Sorry for my bad spelling...
When you encounter swarmids and research them, no ufopedia entry appears. I look into .rul files and discover two kind of swarmids, small terrorist and large terrorist, with ufopedia article, depended from both. Am i right, that article will appear when both species will be researched?
Post by: Arthanor on September 04, 2016, 09:01:09 am
Moar dakka! ;DThere are now Animal Pens, Prison cells and something for aliens. You need the right one for the right captive. Presumably you didn't have the Prisons for your human captive.
earlier today I had an issue where I went on a black lotus dossier capture mission.
found the dude and stunned him to end the mission... it threw an error string error pertaining to alien containment. no points no capture etc.
thoughts?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 04, 2016, 01:03:35 pm
Sorry for my bad spelling...
When you encounter swarmids and research them, no ufopedia entry appears. I look into .rul files and discover two kind of swarmids, small terrorist and large terrorist, with ufopedia article, depended from both. Am i right, that article will appear when both species will be researched?
Hmmm... This shouldn't work like that. I'll have to do some extensive tests.
Post by: Arthanor on September 04, 2016, 10:42:13 pm
Although the small teams make me fear the arbitrary T20 cheat turn quite a lot. Fighting 2 vs 10 wandering enemies is manageable. Past T20, even 2 vs 2 can be really risky. Generally, maps and deployments are small enough that this is no problem though.
There's an old map bug with a blocked door that got me to turn 35 or something (blockage under the cursor), for which I attached a screenshot. Luckily, I could snipe the studs from the wall with my Luger and get to the guy on the other side :D
Warning: Incoming comments dump!
(These come in the order I noticed things, so it gives a look at my progression too)
X-Com Origins:
1 - "since national governments were deemed untrustworthy"
By whom? National governments? I doubt they would consider themselves untrustworthy, but maybe each others. The UN staff? Sure, but how do they make the unit and then go to the governments and say: "Well, it's a UN thing, suck it we don't trust you"? A bit more explanation would be good, and if it is indeed the UN staff who don't trust the government and want to run their own thing, it creates the start of an explanation at the hilariously nerfed state of XCom equipment: The governments wouldn't allow something that they don't have a say in to have much beyond paper pushers.
X-Com Global investigation bureau
2 - "seems unusually high and defying scientific explanation"
Being unusually high is quire proper for a spike, that's not really comment worthy. And you mean sociologists studied it and failed to come up with anything? That seems highly unlikely. Maybe say something like: "The first issue to tackle is finding an explanation for a concurrent spike in the number of criminal organizations and religious sects noticeable on every continent."
X-Com Personel
"work in top secret environment_S_"
Chief Accountant Intro:
"and I _as_sure you" not ensure
Stims/Painkillers/Medical Bag/First Aid Kit
Please write down the numbers restored, charges and TU costs. XCom can be a dream for number lovers and not supplying them is akin to not giving damage or TU costs for weapons. It is quite crucial when deciding on what to put in the car.
Personal protection/Uncommon weapons:
This is one of the things that annoy me the most in Piratez: Projects that do nothing but unlock other projects. Personal protection cost me 50 scientist-days, to discover that we didn't get kevlar vests (I kinda knew that!) and now my quartermaster is willing to look into it? 50 scientist-days for is a really long time to wait. Same with the guns: I thought "You can order them as normal" meant I could order them from the shop, but nope, gotta research them first.
The contacts in Piratez that unlock an article and some goods are a lot more satisfying. Getting "progress reports" is a nice idea, but it takes a long time to be told: it'll take a longer time again. It'd be neat to get these very quickly, as a hint of what that project can give so you can make an informed decision on what to pursue. But now they're a bit much of an investment for that. And partial goodies (like a civilian-grade bullet proof vest, or a hunting rifle for the guns one) before the real goodies like actual body armor and fancy guns would be nice.
Leather jacket:
Why wouldn't you wear it? Maybe there's an unlisted downside to it that would be worth saying? So far I've noticed nothing and everybody wears it. What's this constricting thing supposed to mean?
Zombies:
These guys need to be more aggressive once they spot you. I've had plenty just mill around instead of charging me, giving me plenty of time to shotgun them instead of being swarmed and having to run away. I thought they were suffering from the "no melee weapon" bug that the megascorpions had before. I had one walk all the way to me, not attack and then walk away, but no, I eventually got a bite. If aggression would make them too dangerous, nerf their mobility. Zombies are typically slow but single minded. These are a bit faster but confused.
Also, cool music for the alien life forms missions! Perfectly creepy!
Zombie article:
"completely immune to incapacitation" but.. I stunned a few of 'em! Also, facing the zombie hordes and completing the autopsy and interrogation could enable the "We need more manpower" project, which would be a shortcut to getting a minivan. Having material unlocks from accomplishing what your main task is (killing/capturing/studying/interrogating aliens and criminals) would be way more satisfying than the two progressions being separated. This way, you can either rush for the material unlocks, or try to do your job before the paperwork and, if you succeed, be rewarded for it.
Black Lotus Follower:
"These low-ranking members of _the_ Black Lotus"
There seems to be a lot of articles missing before proper nouns of organizations in the text. Also, is that a Cult or a criminal mafia? The article talks like its a cult, but somehow I thought they'd be a Triad. NVM: Found the article about them. If possible, it'd be great if it popped up like some interrogation projects sometimes do.
Reports:
Those are lol worthy and add flavor so I like them, but at the same time it leaves me wondering if there's something I should do about them (especially: "if you don't do something about this ruckus, I promise you I WILL, and YOU WILL NOT LIKE IT." but as far as I know, there's nothing I can do, so it ends up leaving a weird powerlessness/disconnection feeling instead of making me feel like part of the organization.
"Alien Containments"
The idea of separating is cool and sensible, although I was surprised that zombies are animals. I had a zombie mission with a civilian, which I sent a team from a base without prison/pen and I got a missing string (STR_ALIEN_DIES_NO_ALIEN_CONTAINMENT_FACILITY I think? It was so long parts of it were chopped.)
Small shotgun and Luger:
Those have become my mainstay. At 70 firing accuracy (you get that fast with the gym, I'd slow training down if possible), Lugers have good damage (the best you've got?) and great accuracy. Combine with the small shotgun for close up work and you get a great setup for your operatives. I've had wonderful results pinging away at advancing zombie hordes and finishing them off with a shotgun when they get close. Even had one operative take out a few Black Lotus monks and ninja-wannabes alone when I forgot his partner was wounded and sent him alone. Given these, I haven't really felt the need for different weapons, except I'd love a proper rifle.
Promotion I:
Cool! I've shown that there's a real threat. Now they take me more seriously so I can get some better stuff. Erhm.. I finally have permition to go to the local gun shop and get a hunting rifle? *Woot!* But I still can't rent a van or get body armor, or much or anything more useful than I already got.. It would feel a lot better to get promoted if promotion through official channels unlocked some legit stuff (police grade stuff?) or something, not the permission to improvise and buy civilian stuff. That kind of improvisation should be left for unofficial, shady work.
Also, I assume it unlocks harder missions? Or something else did because shortly after I got missions against whole groups in houses in the middle of nowhere that were probably not quite meant to be tackled by two agents with Lugers. Maybe these missions could get a slightly different name (If "suspect apprehension" is the one vs 2 enemies, maybe "safehouse bust" or something could be these?) so we can distinguish them and send proper teams.
Hunting Rifle:
"its overall performance is significantly lower than analogous X-Com weapons" lol You mean it's less good than my completely intangible pipe dream rifle, where I hold nothing and make pew-pew sounds? As the sole rifle I have, I assure you its performance is significantly higher than no rifle :P
First Aid Kit:
Given that it's so big, 3 uses for healing is rather limited. As it is, you often empty a whole one for a single landed hit (that inflicted 3 fatal wounds).
Van:
Finally finished logistics! Should've done that at the beginning, but I expected it to be a pre-report that would say: "Well, two seater cars suck, we should look into getting something bigger" and unlock the van project :P So I got the van and doubling the team size is quite impressive! Only nitpick: It'd be much better if the crew were facing towards the front of the van for the two at the front and towards the side for the two in the back.
Adding this in the craft ruleset for the van fixed it and made it look like the agents got out properly:
(I made the first one exit from the side, so if you have a dog it'll nicely exit by the driver, not as the driver ;) )
Code: [Select]
deployment:
- [4, 3, 0, 0]
- [4, 6, 0, 4]
- [5, 3, 0, 1]
- [5, 6, 0, 3]Which brings us to: why no dog in the van?! We need them doggies! Otherwise what's the point of having them up for buying? Similarly, it'd be cool to fit 5-6 people in a van (not usually a very difficult thing to do) and have them exiting from the back wouldn't look unrealistic.
Kevlar vest:
Woot! Body armor that actually looks like it'll do something useful. That's awesome. The only thing missing is being able to wear a leather jacket on top of it for looks. Also, why does a kevlar vest make you more vulnerable to fire?
Megascorpion:
It'd be nice if the live study gave the autopsy as well (if there is one). I had to bug out of my one megascorpion encounter as I was getting swarmed. I only grabbed a live one. I wouldn't expect the scientists to release it, so.. Or at least get a corpse from the interrogation like the old option did. (I know it's an engine thing, but still, it would be good for all alien life forms)
X-Com Paranormal Activity Unit:
Someone skilled in both biochemistry and exotic physics? That's a bit much to ask for. It'd be much more likely to find an accountant that's also the quartermaster, or a medical officer that also doubles as the xenobiologist or biochemist, or a xenobiologist that's also a biochemist. Although there's a huge stereotype for the scientist, cutting edge theoretical physics has little to do with biochemistry. Having two different people would be much more credible.
If you want to keep them in the same project, just make them a couple. It's not unlikely for scientists to hook up with other scientists while studying and usually, if one gets a job, the other will be looking for a job in the same location. At my university, it's pretty common for a physicist/biologist couple, since both discipline is dominated by one gender.
Yetis/Wendigo:
WTF?! I had a van show up entirely surrounded by these guys. Decision was made immediately to get the hell outta there, but I played a "what if" just for fun and the whole team couldn't bring one down before getting slaughtered. I guess I was just unlucky with locations and spawn numbers (sometimes there's as few as 1 unit, which might have been manageable), but that was shocking. Cool unit though :) I'm looking forward to facing them again.
Monster-Attacks:
Haven't gone to this one yet (first I see, one battle to finish first) but it sounds particularly scary!
Edit: Completed that monster attack tonight, after fighting the biggest zombie horde I've seen to date. Turned out to be gorilla likes (their movement animation blinks, or sparkles.) in a row of apartment buildings (same terrain as screenshot). I managed to save a few civilians who had the wits to run outside. My best soldier (101 accuracy!) was a hero, ran towards a lady in distress with two gorillas in chase, killed one with an autofire, panicked the second with another burst and help from his partner who also spotted another gorilla rushing out of the building. Sadly, desperate luger sniper fire from the other two agents wounded but didn't kill the 3rd gorilla, who mauled my heroic commissar who died a hero's death. The third gorilla was put down shortly after.
After that, the cleanup crew found another gorilla hidden behind the kitchen sink (like screenshot) and shot at it through the window. Of course, my last shot blew out the window, allowing the gorilla to rush out and hurt (but not kill!) my 2nd best agent who then gave it a good wack with his electric club. Last gorilla was found in a fenced up area with boxes along the fence but no access. Luckily enough fire points to take it out. Too bad I didn't pack tazers for the Jurassic Park-like shooting through the fence ;)
Was fun! Very entertaining (great music again) and I felt like the desperate hero a lot more than in Piratez.
Post by: kazek on September 05, 2016, 02:32:07 pm
Howewer I've encountered an issue right from the beginning. I can't start any cult/suspect mission. I get something like this:
OpenXcom Error
OpenXcom has crashed: Map generator encountered an error: no alien units could be placed on the map. Extra information has been saved to openxcom.log. Please report this to the developers.
After some tests i found out, that it only happens if I modify my soldiers name/flag, and only in cult missions. Strange life form works fine
EDIT1: Nope, nothing to do with changing their name or nationality. Must be specific map, bacause some works fine.
Post by: Nord on September 05, 2016, 04:04:24 pm
Post by: HelmetHair on September 06, 2016, 09:36:52 pm
Just as I get some free time nice surprise: an update!
Howewer I've encountered an issue right from the beginning. I can't start any cult/suspect mission. I get something like this:
OpenXcom Error
OpenXcom has crashed: Map generator encountered an error: no alien units could be placed on the map. Extra information has been saved to openxcom.log. Please report this to the developers.
After some tests i found out, that it only happens if I modify my soldiers name/flag, and only in cult missions. Strange life form works fine
EDIT1: Nope, nothing to do with changing their name or nationality. Must be specific map, bacause some works fine.
Yep, me too. OXF shit the bed first mission of a new game.
Post by: kazek on September 07, 2016, 12:22:16 am
Yep, me too. OXF shit the bed first mission of a new game.
Well I've managed to find a workaround. Try switching places between soldiers in equip craft menu and giving them standard armor(suit). It only affects first cult mission (arrest single suspect) other works fine.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 08, 2016, 01:20:16 am
Although the small teams make me fear the arbitrary T20 cheat turn quite a lot. Fighting 2 vs 10 wandering enemies is manageable. Past T20, even 2 vs 2 can be really risky. Generally, maps and deployments are small enough that this is no problem though.
There's an old map bug with a blocked door that got me to turn 35 or something (blockage under the cursor), for which I attached a screenshot. Luckily, I could snipe the studs from the wall with my Luger and get to the guy on the other side :D
Thanks, fixed.
Warning: Incoming comments dump!
(These come in the order I noticed things, so it gives a look at my progression too)
Good! ^_^
X-Com Origins:
1 - "since national governments were deemed untrustworthy"
By whom? National governments? I doubt they would consider themselves untrustworthy, but maybe each others. The UN staff? Sure, but how do they make the unit and then go to the governments and say: "Well, it's a UN thing, suck it we don't trust you"? A bit more explanation would be good, and if it is indeed the UN staff who don't trust the government and want to run their own thing, it creates the start of an explanation at the hilariously nerfed state of XCom equipment: The governments wouldn't allow something that they don't have a say in to have much beyond paper pushers.
You're right, this should be written more clearly. To-do list, here I come!
X-Com Global investigation bureau
2 - "seems unusually high and defying scientific explanation"
Being unusually high is quire proper for a spike, that's not really comment worthy. And you mean sociologists studied it and failed to come up with anything? That seems highly unlikely. Maybe say something like: "The first issue to tackle is finding an explanation for a concurrent spike in the number of criminal organizations and religious sects noticeable on every continent."
Sorry, I got too carried away with the cheesy inspirations. :P I'll use your version, it's good.
Stims/Painkillers/Medical Bag/First Aid Kit
Please write down the numbers restored, charges and TU costs. XCom can be a dream for number lovers and not supplying them is akin to not giving damage or TU costs for weapons. It is quite crucial when deciding on what to put in the car.
Yeah, I definintely should. It's a WIP thing. Well, a barely playable alpha. :)
Personal protection/Uncommon weapons:
This is one of the things that annoy me the most in Piratez: Projects that do nothing but unlock other projects. Personal protection cost me 50 scientist-days, to discover that we didn't get kevlar vests (I kinda knew that!) and now my quartermaster is willing to look into it? 50 scientist-days for is a really long time to wait. Same with the guns: I thought "You can order them as normal" meant I could order them from the shop, but nope, gotta research them first.
Hmmm, how about moving the leather coat to personal protection? Would it make it useful enough?
"I'll do what I can to get us some vests, but it'll take time. For now, why don't you try on this fine leather? It's tougher than the suit!"
As for other similar cases, I'll think about it. The early game actually changes a lot.
Leather jacket:
Why wouldn't you wear it? Maybe there's an unlisted downside to it that would be worth saying? So far I've noticed nothing and everybody wears it. What's this constricting thing supposed to mean?
Well, it's a little heavy and has some small debuffs... Yeah, I'll definitely move it to Personal Protection.
Zombies:
These guys need to be more aggressive once they spot you. I've had plenty just mill around instead of charging me, giving me plenty of time to shotgun them instead of being swarmed and having to run away. I thought they were suffering from the "no melee weapon" bug that the megascorpions had before. I had one walk all the way to me, not attack and then walk away, but no, I eventually got a bite. If aggression would make them too dangerous, nerf their mobility. Zombies are typically slow but single minded. These are a bit faster but confused.
This may be related to the (now fixed) melee bug, although I agree they're not very sharp hunters. I've recently decided to make them rarer, because there were just too many missions with them and these missions are relatively long. The problem is, I don't have alternatives, especially for the temperate biome. I need more sprites to make more creatures!
Also, cool music for the alien life forms missions! Perfectly creepy!
Alien Shooter 2, best isometric shooter ever. :) No, really, I recommend it.
Zombie article:
"completely immune to incapacitation" but.. I stunned a few of 'em!
Right, I think it was a leftover.
Also, facing the zombie hordes and completing the autopsy and interrogation could enable the "We need more manpower" project, which would be a shortcut to getting a minivan. Having material unlocks from accomplishing what your main task is (killing/capturing/studying/interrogating aliens and criminals) would be way more satisfying than the two progressions being separated. This way, you can either rush for the material unlocks, or try to do your job before the paperwork and, if you succeed, be rewarded for it.
I don't really understand. Are you saying there should be another path to the van? Or that both paths should be needed? Or that the zombie path should give you some other vehicle?
Black Lotus Follower:
"These low-ranking members of _the_ Black Lotus"
There seems to be a lot of articles missing before proper nouns of organizations in the text.
Well, let me link to my post on Quora (https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Indians-have-a-hard-time-with-English-articles/answer/Micha%C5%82-W-Sola%C5%84ski). :)
But I've corrected most cases thanks to Juku's mod.
Also, is that a Cult or a criminal mafia? The article talks like its a cult, but somehow I thought they'd be a Triad. NVM: Found the article about them. If possible, it'd be great if it popped up like some interrogation projects sometimes do.
Maybe I'll add something like this. If I have inspiration. :)
Reports:
Those are lol worthy and add flavor so I like them, but at the same time it leaves me wondering if there's something I should do about them (especially: "if you don't do something about this ruckus, I promise you I WILL, and YOU WILL NOT LIKE IT." but as far as I know, there's nothing I can do, so it ends up leaving a weird powerlessness/disconnection feeling instead of making me feel like part of the organization.
Hmmm, true. Another thing to fix. Or not, I need to think about it. A lot. :)
"Alien Containments"
The idea of separating is cool and sensible, although I was surprised that zombies are animals. I had a zombie mission with a civilian, which I sent a team from a base without prison/pen and I got a missing string (STR_ALIEN_DIES_NO_ALIEN_CONTAINMENT_FACILITY I think? It was so long parts of it were chopped.)
Well, Zombies are more animals than humans. They're mindless, resilient and strong, so putting them in cages seems more logical. They are not humans; they are human corpses at best. I'll actually add it to the description.
Small shotgun and Luger:
Those have become my mainstay. At 70 firing accuracy (you get that fast with the gym, I'd slow training down if possible), Lugers have good damage (the best you've got?) and great accuracy. Combine with the small shotgun for close up work and you get a great setup for your operatives. I've had wonderful results pinging away at advancing zombie hordes and finishing them off with a shotgun when they get close. Even had one operative take out a few Black Lotus monks and ninja-wannabes alone when I forgot his partner was wounded and sent him alone. Given these, I haven't really felt the need for different weapons, except I'd love a proper rifle.
Well, shotguns got good with the new mechanic. :) They've been balanced many times, so now at least they work. I still mostly perfer pistols though, but that's me.
Gym training may be slowed, but i'm torn on this; having badass agents is a nice experience too. To be decided.
Promotion I:
Cool! I've shown that there's a real threat. Now they take me more seriously so I can get some better stuff. Erhm.. I finally have permition to go to the local gun shop and get a hunting rifle? *Woot!* But I still can't rent a van or get body armor, or much or anything more useful than I already got.. It would feel a lot better to get promoted if promotion through official channels unlocked some legit stuff (police grade stuff?) or something, not the permission to improvise and buy civilian stuff. That kind of improvisation should be left for unofficial, shady work.
Would you prefer Logistics and such to be prerequisites for Promotion I? ;)
No, seriously. I'm not sure what else I can do with this model. I'm open to suggestions, I think there's potential here.
Also, I assume it unlocks harder missions? Or something else did because shortly after I got missions against whole groups in houses in the middle of nowhere that were probably not quite meant to be tackled by two agents with Lugers. Maybe these missions could get a slightly different name (If "suspect apprehension" is the one vs 2 enemies, maybe "safehouse bust" or something could be these?) so we can distinguish them and send proper teams.
The "apprehension" mission was added at the last minute to make an easier start, so the houses are actually your "level 0" threat. ;) Sure, they can be hard to win against, but you can still try!
Hunting Rifle:
"its overall performance is significantly lower than analogous X-Com weapons" lol You mean it's less good than my completely intangible pipe dream rifle, where I hold nothing and make pew-pew sounds? As the sole rifle I have, I assure you its performance is significantly higher than no rifle :P
Lol, good point. A leftover from FMP.
But in my file it says "analogous military weapons", so I must've changed it at some point recently. :)
First Aid Kit:
Given that it's so big, 3 uses for healing is rather limited. As it is, you often empty a whole one for a single landed hit (that inflicted 3 fatal wounds).
Well, what else can you do? It's the 90's, and you're piss poor! :)
So, works as required.
Van:
Finally finished logistics! Should've done that at the beginning, but I expected it to be a pre-report that would say: "Well, two seater cars suck, we should look into getting something bigger" and unlock the van project :P So I got the van and doubling the team size is quite impressive! Only nitpick: It'd be much better if the crew were facing towards the front of the van for the two at the front and towards the side for the two in the back.
Sure, why not. Thanks for the code.
Which brings us to: why no dog in the van?!
Because I haven't finished it yet, okay!? :)
No, seriously, I'm in the process of making a dog soldier type. They'll be able to do everything dogs do.
Kevlar vest:
Woot! Body armor that actually looks like it'll do something useful. That's awesome. The only thing missing is being able to wear a leather jacket on top of it for looks. Also, why does a kevlar vest make you more vulnerable to fire?
I... can't remember. Need to ask Dioxine, we've probably discussed it and found a Super Important Reason. :P
Megascorpion:
It'd be nice if the live study gave the autopsy as well (if there is one). I had to bug out of my one megascorpion encounter as I was getting swarmed. I only grabbed a live one. I wouldn't expect the scientists to release it, so.. Or at least get a corpse from the interrogation like the old option did. (I know it's an engine thing, but still, it would be good for all alien life forms)
OK, I'll look into it.
X-Com Paranormal Activity Unit:
Someone skilled in both biochemistry and exotic physics? That's a bit much to ask for. It'd be much more likely to find an accountant that's also the quartermaster, or a medical officer that also doubles as the xenobiologist or biochemist, or a xenobiologist that's also a biochemist. Although there's a huge stereotype for the scientist, cutting edge theoretical physics has little to do with biochemistry. Having two different people would be much more credible.
It's mostly a casting issue, the guy already has little to do (for now). And to be honest it was a bit of a parody of the omniscientist trope.
If you want to keep them in the same project, just make them a couple. It's not unlikely for scientists to hook up with other scientists while studying and usually, if one gets a job, the other will be looking for a job in the same location. At my university, it's pretty common for a physicist/biologist couple, since both discipline is dominated by one gender.
Hey, this actually is a cute idea!
Yetis/Wendigo:
WTF?! I had a van show up entirely surrounded by these guys. Decision was made immediately to get the hell outta there, but I played a "what if" just for fun and the whole team couldn't bring one down before getting slaughtered. I guess I was just unlucky with locations and spawn numbers (sometimes there's as few as 1 unit, which might have been manageable), but that was shocking. Cool unit though :) I'm looking forward to facing them again.
Yeah, very unlucky :) Normally there's like, two.
Edit: Completed that monster attack tonight, after fighting the biggest zombie horde I've seen to date. Turned out to be gorilla likes (their movement animation blinks, or sparkles.)
Yeah, I've spent hours cleaning the sprites, still not how it should be. :/
in a row of apartment buildings (same terrain as screenshot). I managed to save a few civilians who had the wits to run outside. My best soldier (101 accuracy!) was a hero, ran towards a lady in distress with two gorillas in chase, killed one with an autofire, panicked the second with another burst and help from his partner who also spotted another gorilla rushing out of the building. Sadly, desperate luger sniper fire from the other two agents wounded but didn't kill the 3rd gorilla, who mauled my heroic commissar who died a hero's death. The third gorilla was put down shortly after.
After that, the cleanup crew found another gorilla hidden behind the kitchen sink (like screenshot) and shot at it through the window. Of course, my last shot blew out the window, allowing the gorilla to rush out and hurt (but not kill!) my 2nd best agent who then gave it a good wack with his electric club. Last gorilla was found in a fenced up area with boxes along the fence but no access. Luckily enough fire points to take it out. Too bad I didn't pack tazers for the Jurassic Park-like shooting through the fence ;)
Was fun! Very entertaining (great music again) and I felt like the desperate hero a lot more than in Piratez.
Thanks for the input! You know, this REALLY helps. And I promise to work hard on this! :)
@Kazek, HelmetHair: Regarding the crashing map issue: can I have a save please? I haven't encountered this bug.
And SORRY.
Balance question: why tommy gun in all means better than a LMG? More damage, better accuracy, faster.
It's not so bad, but yeah, I'll nerf it a bit.
Post by: Arthanor on September 08, 2016, 02:36:36 am
Hmmm, how about moving the leather coat to personal protection? Would it make it useful enough?Yeah, leather coat from personal protection would alleviate the "researching to unlock research" feeling. I'd also list whatever the downsides of the leather coat are in the description if possible, like Piratez does. From the ufopedia, it looks like a pure upgrade even if the text makes you feel like there's a (hiddeb) catch.
"I'll do what I can to get us some vests, but it'll take time. For now, why don't you try on this fine leather? It's tougher than the suit!"
As for other similar cases, I'll think about it. The early game actually changes a lot.
Well, it's a little heavy and has some small debuffs... Yeah, I'll definitely move it to Personal Protection.
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This may be related to the (now fixed) melee bug, although I agree they're not very sharp hunters. I've recently decided to make them rarer, because there were just too many missions with them and these missions are relatively long. The problem is, I don't have alternatives, especially for the temperate biome. I need more sprites to make more creatures!Interesting, I saw them in the Arctic the most. I assumed it was going to be some kind of "biochemical research base on Greenland gets compromised and lets lose viral zombie plague" story arc. It's funny to learn they're mostly temperate enemies. I actually enjoy the zombie missions as a kind of "do you have enough damage per turn to keep the horde away" which usually is very tense at the beginning and then gets better. It's also great shooting xp.
I compiled an executable when you released 0.3, so it shouldn't have any melee issue. As I said, I'd up aggression and lower TUs to really make it an oncoming horde instead of a sort of hesitating to come this way horde. And having thought about it, I think that as aliens get wounded, they might be more likely to sulk away than try to rush you? Since I always shoot the closest zombie first, it might be why they look indecisive.. Maybe that's something aggression would fix?
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I don't really understand. Are you saying there should be another path to the van? Or that both paths should be needed? Or that the zombie path should give you some other vehicle?
Yes, I think it would be cool to have multiple paths to the same tech. The more rapid, direct "paper pusher/bureaucracy" path you have now, which allows a dependable path to a given tech, and the "dedicated agent" path, where you get rewarded for fighting the enemy instead of fighting the bureaucracy.
Using the van as an example, you could:
A: bit and moan to your supervisor from day 1 that a car and 2 agents isn't enough, until they finally give in and allow you tu use vans.
B: take to the field in the stupid tiny car that your boss is saying is all you can use, kill 17 zombies and, now having the evidence that the job out there is crazy, convince him that you need a bigger transport/field team.
Currently, option A is available: your research team spends their time fighting the bureaucracy instead of researching the alien threat (a bad thing!). But option B: killing aliens and researching them (a good thing! Which should allow you to gain leverage as you are performing and showing evidence to support your existence) isn't there. So you actually get more rewarded for not doing your job!
Similarly, capture and interrogation of a few different human factions (say 3?) should unlock kevlar vests. Your agents are obviously engaging in firefights and you now uncovered significant threats in those networks, so you use that leverage to gain more hardware, instead of, once again, using your support staff to bitch and moan that you need more equipment without doing anything useful.
This rewards active play: going out there and capturing enemies and researching them, instead of passive play: staying put and just waiting for vans and kevlar vests.
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Well, let me link to my post on Quora (https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Indians-have-a-hard-time-with-English-articles/answer/Micha%C5%82-W-Sola%C5%84ski). :)
But I've corrected most cases thanks to Juku's mod.
Interesting read. English is also my 2nd language so articles are quite intuitive to me. Although I'm learning German now and if English articles annoy you, I can suggest you don't try it ;P I'm happy to help with article writing/proofreading if you'd like.
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Well, shotguns got good with the new mechanic. :) They've been balanced many times, so now at least they work. I still mostly perfer pistols though, but that's me.Shotguns being decent isn't a bad thing, and I'm not sure it has to do with the fix, but rather with the availability of enemies with low armor. Short range bursts are great against many enemies, like zombies, gorillas and basic humans which is refreshing.
Gym training may be slowed, but i'm torn on this; having badass agents is a nice experience too. To be decided.
As for the gym, it's fairly quick to get quite a few agents in bases and with the small team size, get a lot of spares which do nothing but train. To the point that losing good field agents doesn't really hurt even though rookies suck when you buy them, they train to pretty decent stats by the time you need them. Feeling the hurt when losing a good agent is quintessential to XCom for me.
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Would you prefer Logistics and such to be prerequisites for Promotion I? ;)God no! Promotions should be based on your field achievements, not how much whining you had your research staff do to get more stuff. What I am advocating is in fact the exact opposite: Promotion should give the basic gear (logistics, protection and medecine) if you don't have them advocating ready. This way, you have a choice: play cautious and fight the bureaucracy for good stuff before going to the field (earlier good stuff but slower promotion) OR going to the field with whatever you have and bringing back proof with bullets whistling by/crazy alien beasts yapping at your heels like the dutyful badass you are, plonking the reports with pictures on the council's (or whoever it is that doesn't want you to use vans and kevlar vests) desk and getting what you need to keep doing the job they can't deny needs doing anymore (so captures gets you promotes which gets you stuff, meaning you get stuff later but you get the whole stuff+promotion faster).
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The "apprehension" mission was added at the last minute to make an easier start, so the houses are actually your "level 0" threat. ;) Sure, they can be hard to win against, but you can still try!Oh, don't worry I did try! My agents are no cowards! The jump from 2 to 8 is is a bit harsh but it's manageable. Mostly I was asking if there's supposed to be a clue to differentiate the two types of missions as I failed to do so. I'd love to be able to tell so I can get the two guys with my newbies and take out the house with my A-team. Also it'd be nice if there were some document or something to loot from those houses. Either quick study flavor text or stuff that actually gets you somewhere in the story ark. It's manageable to kill 'em all by staying far and shooting but capturing one of the 1-2 special guys that spawn (and usually are too deadly to not fire at) has proven impossible to me so far.
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Because I haven't finished it yet, okay!? :)Cool! As I said, ignore me when I ask for something that's already on the to-do ;) or at best move it higher on the list :D
No, seriously, I'm in the process of making a dog soldier type. They'll be able to do everything dogs do.
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It's mostly a casting issue, the guy already has little to do (for now). And to be honest it was a bit of a parody of the omniscientist trope.Glad you like the idea. Could be an interesting way to make fun of the trope by looking for both qualifications in one person, not finding it because it's unrealistic but finding a couple that fits. Employ both part-time (hey, they're young post-docs that have a thing for ufos/aliens, they'd work for food and shelter if that's all you offered them). Then, as the job evolves you can promote them to full time ;)
Hey, this actually is a cute idea!
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Thanks for the input! You know, this REALLY helps. And I promise to work hard on this! :)
I'm glad you like it. I'll keep posting :)
Let me know if I can help with anything not picture/map related (I'd love to, but I'm really not a sprite artist and map view doesn't work on Linux). I think I should be able to get rulesets to do pretty much whatever one needs it to within OXCE+'s significant capabilities.
Post by: kazek on September 08, 2016, 11:59:56 am
@Kazek, HelmetHair: Regarding the crashing map issue: can I have a save please? I haven't encountered this bug.
And SORRY.
No problem! Here it comes.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 08, 2016, 07:48:28 pm
I compiled an executable when you released 0.3, so it shouldn't have any melee issue. As I said, I'd up aggression and lower TUs to really make it an oncoming horde instead of a sort of hesitating to come this way horde. And having thought about it, I think that as aliens get wounded, they might be more likely to sulk away than try to rush you? Since I always shoot the closest zombie first, it might be why they look indecisive.. Maybe that's something aggression would fix?
Unlikely, since they already have aggression 5 - the highest in vanilla being 2...
But I changed it to 6, we'll see what happens! :P
Yes, I think it would be cool to have multiple paths to the same tech. The more rapid, direct "paper pusher/bureaucracy" path you have now, which allows a dependable path to a given tech, and the "dedicated agent" path, where you get rewarded for fighting the enemy instead of fighting the bureaucracy.
Using the van as an example, you could:
A: bit and moan to your supervisor from day 1 that a car and 2 agents isn't enough, until they finally give in and allow you tu use vans.
B: take to the field in the stupid tiny car that your boss is saying is all you can use, kill 17 zombies and, now having the evidence that the job out there is crazy, convince him that you need a bigger transport/field team.
Currently, option A is available: your research team spends their time fighting the bureaucracy instead of researching the alien threat (a bad thing!). But option B: killing aliens and researching them (a good thing! Which should allow you to gain leverage as you are performing and showing evidence to support your existence) isn't there. So you actually get more rewarded for not doing your job!
Similarly, capture and interrogation of a few different human factions (say 3?) should unlock kevlar vests. Your agents are obviously engaging in firefights and you now uncovered significant threats in those networks, so you use that leverage to gain more hardware, instead of, once again, using your support staff to bitch and moan that you need more equipment without doing anything useful.
This rewards active play: going out there and capturing enemies and researching them, instead of passive play: staying put and just waiting for vans and kevlar vests.
This is good in theory, but I don't think it's doable without mutually-exclusive research (which may happen some day). You shouldn't get Logistics from somewhere else and have the same article with The Accountant rambling about how she's working her ass off (like usual). At least I don't think it'd look good; maybe I can restructure it somehow.
Also a side note: you're not forbidden from using vans, you just don't have the infrastructure. Because if you had the van from the beginning, people wouldn't use the car. Yeah, it's gamey...
Interesting read. English is also my 2nd language so articles are quite intuitive to me. Although I'm learning German now and if English articles annoy you, I can suggest you don't try it ;P
I remember this two-verse gem, in Polish:
Gdyby nie to der, die, das,
Byłby ze mnie Niemiec w czas!
Which roughly means,
If it wasn't for this der, die, das,
I'd be a German in no time!
:)
Shotguns being decent isn't a bad thing, and I'm not sure it has to do with the fix, but rather with the availability of enemies with low armor. Short range bursts are great against many enemies, like zombies, gorillas and basic humans which is refreshing.
Good.
God no! Promotions should be based on your field achievements, not how much whining you had your research staff do to get more stuff. What I am advocating is in fact the exact opposite: Promotion should give the basic gear (logistics, protection and medecine) if you don't have them advocating ready.
But would you research them at all, knowing you can get them for free later? I just... don't know.
Oh, don't worry I did try! My agents are no cowards! The jump from 2 to 8 is is a bit harsh but it's manageable. Mostly I was asking if there's supposed to be a clue to differentiate the two types of missions as I failed to do so.
Well, one is called "Cult Apprehension", but the other is "Cult Activity Investigation"... Unless I misunderstand...?
Also it'd be nice if there were some document or something to loot from those houses. Either quick study flavor text or stuff that actually gets you somewhere in the story ark.
Yeah, it'd be nice. I'll think about it :)
And thanks for the offer to help! I'm afraid I might actually act upon it... :)
No problem! Here it comes.
I tried it and I started the mission with no problems.
Try disabling Commmendations maybe?
Post by: Arthanor on September 08, 2016, 10:11:03 pm
Unlikely, since they already have aggression 5 - the highest in vanilla being 2...Oh wow! I think there's some kind of AI log to find out why enemies do what they do, but my computer can barely handle OXC(E+) already.. I am increasingly feeling like it's just some self preservation thing that is preventing the wounded zombies from rushing the van, for which there might not be a solution. And it's probably fine if that's what it is, they got some bits blown up and are now crashing about :) It's just hard to tell given the engine.
But I changed it to 6, we'll see what happens! :P
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This is good in theory, but I don't think it's doable without mutually-exclusive research (which may happen some day). You shouldn't get Logistics from somewhere else and have the same article with The Accountant rambling about how she's working her ass off (like usual). At least I don't think it'd look good; maybe I can restructure it somehow.hum.. yes, the implementation could be a bit difficult now that you mention it.. :P I didn't think of the Logistics topic remaining there despite it leading nowhere if you already got the van from zombies. I'll try to think of a way. I feel like there might be one (something totally wonky with requires/unlocks!)
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Also a side note: you're not forbidden from using vans, you just don't have the infrastructure. Because if you had the van from the beginning, people wouldn't use the car. Yeah, it's gamey...The infrastructure? What infrastructure do you need to rent a van? I do it every time I move and I'm no UN agent :P My thought was that the countries didn't want any UN "rogue" agents wandering their territory, and eventually accepted two. Then after enough "work" by the logistics officer, they decided to accept teams of 4. Hence my suggestion that it should be tied to encountering "mobs" of aliens/weird units.
Basically, your two agents go in the field (because that's all that the countries allow you to deploy in their country), find crazy stuff, and you go back to the countries and say: Look, people: There's wacky dangerous stuff you don't want the public to know about, here's some proof *put down reports on table* BUT the good news is we're here to take care of it with specialized people, just let us deploy teams that are big enough to do so.
Maybe the solution is to tie the two together: Logistics requires you to complete a few autopsies first, and the officer uses them as leverage to get the countries to accept teams of 4 agents on their territory?
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I remember this two-verse gem, in Polish:Haha! It's nice to see I'm not the only one thinking that!
Gdyby nie to der, die, das,
Byłby ze mnie Niemiec w czas!
Which roughly means,
If it wasn't for this der, die, das,
I'd be a German in no time!
:)
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But would you research them at all, knowing you can get them for free later? I just... don't know.Well, do you want a van today or wait until you complete X autopsies + Y interrogations (which means getting all those with your tiny 2 agent teams!)? I think it could be made such that either choice is valid, depending on the player preference. I'd go for the 2 agents teams, I'd bet others would go for the tech (like how people rush tech in other XCom games).
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Well, one is called "Cult Apprehension", but the other is "Cult Activity Investigation"... Unless I misunderstand...?Seriously? I must not have paid attention.. I could never remember which one I encountered last, so I assumed it was always the same. I need to pay attention, gaming is serious and my agents wellbeing is at stake!
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Yeah, it'd be nice. I'll think about it :)
And thanks for the offer to help! I'm afraid I might actually act upon it... :)
Whatever you need, even if it's just chains of random fluff article to give in those missions! Just no graphic stuff, since then I'll have to decline any ways :P
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 08, 2016, 10:37:42 pm
Now for a break, something fun happened. I wrote some description for Cyberweb weapons, added them, released them with 0.3... And then I found descriptions of the very same items I wrote two months ago, which was completely forgotten. So I had the rare privilege of comparing my work with my own. :D
It struck me how similar both versions were, and I'd like to share the Cyberweb Battery description:
The old version:
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High-powered Cyberweb equipment relies on special batteries that seem to employ some very exotic physics. They do not contain any energy source as such, instead they are able to draw power from some unclear outside source - possibly another dimension. The battery is not forever though: its structure easily crumbles under strain, only allowing for some energy to be transfered before they burn up. Overall the device seems rather experimental, but is very impressive.{NEWLINE}The battery comes in several types, depending on the equipment it is supposed to power. We can reconfigure them if we need to.
The new version:
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This wondrous device is used to power various Cyberweb equipment. The battery does not contain any power source; instead it uses some sort of interdimensional suction to procure the energy from some other plane, possibly another universe. It is not, however, eternal, as the mechanism is delicate and breaks down quickly. On the positive side, the battery is completely invisible to all forms of energy detection, unless it is active.{NEWLINE}The same Cyberweb battery can be used to power various weapons and equipment, but each time it must be calibrated for a particular device. Various configurations are color-coded.
See? It's exactly the same description, sentence after sentence, only with different words. Either I am a very boring person or one with very clear vision. :P
Post by: The Think Tank on September 09, 2016, 01:39:25 am
Post by: Arthanor on September 09, 2016, 02:03:59 am
@Think Tank: More accurate sprites would be good, as would having different sprites from Piratez to further differentiate the mods. Good idea! But I feel like those are very blurry, or fuzzy. I don't know if they would really be worthy replacements.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 09, 2016, 02:23:42 am
Post by: niculinux on September 09, 2016, 09:41:25 am
Hi Sorch! Still really enjoying the mod so far, and most of my issues with it are only aesthetics and stuff, so you have nailed the gameplay aspect! Congrats for that! Now, there are a few weapon skins (that I have seen thus far) that I think could do with a skin change, the most odd one for me is the HK MP5 (which, in my opinion, is a kinda funky sprite atm). I would suggest using some skins from the brilliant Kappa Weapons to replace the more military skins we have in game (such as, if there is an M-16, M-4, MP5 etc.) as these feel like much closer sprites to their original thing, just my opinion though. (Kappa Weapons: https://www.openxcom.com/mod/kappa-weapons-wip)
@Solarius: Someone has a clear vision of what he wants in the mod! Impressive!
@Think Tank: More accurate sprites would be good, as would having different sprites from Piratez to further differentiate the mods. Good idea! But I feel like those are very blurry, or fuzzy. I don't know if they would really be worthy replacements.
Agree on both points :)
Post by: The Think Tank on September 11, 2016, 06:53:02 am
Agree on both points :)Yeah, the sprites are fuzzy and some have problems in the UFOpedia, but if fixed and tweaked a bit I think they would lend themselves very nicely to the X-Files appeal. Also, may just be a personal thing but the Magnum sprite is seriously bugging me, I changed it out but I do think it has a ton of potential, if it just looked a little..."cleaner"?
Post by: niculinux on September 11, 2016, 02:21:17 pm
Post by: Nord on September 11, 2016, 05:56:17 pm
Log:
[11-09-2016 17:59:26] [FATAL] A fatal error has occurred: code 0xc0000005
[11-09-2016 17:59:26] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[11-09-2016 17:59:26] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[11-09-2016 17:59:26] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[11-09-2016 17:59:26] [FATAL] StackWalk64 failed: 299
I think it is connected to one of HQ's mission.
After a day or week after save.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 11, 2016, 09:18:08 pm
Encountered constant CTD.
Log:
[11-09-2016 17:59:26] [FATAL] A fatal error has occurred: code 0xc0000005
[11-09-2016 17:59:26] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[11-09-2016 17:59:26] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[11-09-2016 17:59:26] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[11-09-2016 17:59:26] [FATAL] StackWalk64 failed: 299
I think it is connected to one of HQ's mission.
After a day or week after save.
Yeah, sorry about that. Hotfix attached.
EDIT: I checked the kappa weapons and indeed, they need some work. I'm not even sure they're usable at all, since they are drawn completely differently from the vanilla weapons; they are all thin and long, and it makes them very low detail. They wouldn't mix well with XCF, or even vanilla.
Post by: JeyP on September 15, 2016, 12:36:26 pm
- Front of the car is not a cover, it's stay like that ? Either way is fine for me, just curious.
- Like these small starting urban missions. Before (0.2) my first field mission was after logistic, now (0.3) i had lot of fun from the beggining.
Bad game pace becous of :
- OP Luger, it's better than sniper rifle, aimed should be around ~75% and power bonus should be lower too
- maybe becouse of OP Luger but there was no better weapons until "Promotion 2", maybe add something better at "Promotion 1"
-Dragonfly, from 4 to 8 or 7 men and drone/dog it's quite a boost, maybe add 6 men vehicle around "Promotion 1" extend time to "Promotion 2" and add dragonfly around then.
- I said it before but gym is OP. Soldiers in gym gain stats to fast and even when they are going on the mission. Around "Promotion 2" i had a lot of good soldiers with 110-120 accuracy. Lower stat gain and maybe allow only 1 gym for base if possible. Or it could train soldiers only to 99 in stats if possible. For me gym should train medicore/good soldiers not superhumans.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 15, 2016, 12:50:28 pm
Played until "Promotion 2". Few quick thoughts.
Thanks.
- Front of the car is not a cover, it's stay like that ? Either way is fine for me, just curious.
It's a low cover. The problem is not with the tile, but with OpenXCom aiming algorithm, which is imperfect.
- Like these small starting urban missions. Before (0.2) my first field mission was after logistic, now (0.3) i had lot of fun from the beggining.
Yeah, it's a new thing, to make the beginning more approachable.
Bad game pace becous of :
- OP Luger, it's better than sniper rifle, aimed should be around ~75% and power bonus should be lower too
I'd rather make it more rare, or appear later.
- maybe becouse of OP Luger but there was no better weapons until "Promotion 2", maybe add something better at "Promotion 1"
You mean a pistol? Like a Luger lite?
-Dragonfly, from 4 to 8 or 7 men and drone/dog it's quite a boost, maybe add 6 men vehicle around "Promotion 1" extend time to "Promotion 2" and add dragonfly around then.
Maybe, but I don't have such plans right now.
- I said it before but gym is OP. Soldiers in gym gain stats to fast and even when they are going on the mission. Around "Promotion 2" i had a lot of good soldiers with 110-120 accuracy. Lower stat gain and maybe allow only 1 gym for base if possible. Or it could train soldiers only to 99 in stats if possible. For me gym should train medicore/good soldiers not superhumans.
I'm planning to add training caps for stats. You won't be able to train over a certain level, battle experience only. But I need to test it first, get a better feel.
Post by: Arthanor on September 15, 2016, 05:29:25 pm
I think having a better rifle after Promotion I, to start to properly arm your agents, would be good. At that point, you start to be almost on par with the police and may well have multiple bases already. I got something I can't remember the name of (uses the BlackMarch sprite from Piratez), which turned out to be better at close range thanks to autofire, but worse at high range because of the TU cost of aimed shot and lower accuracy. In general, I think 2H weapons should do better at longer range than pistols, so higher aim shot accuracy and aimRange could help take away the Luger king of sniping. Pistols should be the kings of ~15 tiles range (fast for higher movement combat, and more accurate than autoshots at that range) with rifle snapshots as a close second, ~10 tiles for rifle autoshots, ~5 tiles for shotguns, > 25 for rifles aimed shot.
Training caps for the gym would indeed be pretty sensible. Something like.. actualy stat caps for strength and stamina (you can definitely train that to monstrous level in a gym), ~80 Firing and Melee, ~85% of stat cap TUs (part of the challenge in battle comes from the stress and movement, which you need to experience to get). That way, veterans from the field can keep an edge over rookies with gym training instead of all agents being interchangeable.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 15, 2016, 07:32:38 pm
Nooo! Don't nerf my Luger! :P Actually, it is quite OP and overshadows pretty much everything else except at extreme close range (where autoshots or shotguns are better) or extreme long range (where hunter rifle wins by accuracy). I don't know if making it rare would improve things, or just make it more unrealistic. I would suggest a damage scaling that doesn't increase linearly with firing accuracy, to eventually cap the max damage. Firing quickly is the point of pistols, so increasing TUs should only be done a bit, maybe. Accuracy could also be lowered (or maybe aimRange decreased for all pistols?) to let rifles be the better medium range weapons. Another option could be to lower power past a certain range for pistols, although I don't know how realistic that would be.
The problem is that I actually like Luger, I mean a weapon with this profile. I could nerf the Luger, but then I'd have to introduce another similar weapon, so the problem will remain (although not necessarily with the 'more unrealistic' part). I can tighten the range though, and maybe make it a bit slower.
Thoughts?
I think having a better rifle after Promotion I, to start to properly arm your agents, would be good. At that point, you start to be almost on par with the police and may well have multiple bases already. I got something I can't remember the name of (uses the BlackMarch sprite from Piratez),
Perhaps you mean HKMP5? Because the Blackmarch SMG uses HKMP5 sprite. :P
Yeah, it's good. I think it reflects its real counterpart rather well.
which turned out to be better at close range thanks to autofire, but worse at high range because of the TU cost of aimed shot and lower accuracy. In general, I think 2H weapons should do better at longer range than pistols, so higher aim shot accuracy and aimRange could help take away the Luger king of sniping.
Is increasing range for all SMGs what you have in mind? Because it's a ~possibility.
Training caps for the gym would indeed be pretty sensible. Something like.. actualy stat caps for strength and stamina (you can definitely train that to monstrous level in a gym), ~80 Firing and Melee, ~85% of stat cap TUs (part of the challenge in battle comes from the stress and movement, which you need to experience to get). That way, veterans from the field can keep an edge over rookies with gym training instead of all agents being interchangeable.
Something like this, yes.
Post by: Arthanor on September 15, 2016, 08:19:45 pm
Many thanks for taking your time to talk about this!You're welcome! I wasn't entirely sure it was ready to play beyond Promotion I, but I see I was overly conservative. I will be playing some more soon for sure.
Quote
The problem is that I actually like Luger, I mean a weapon with this profile. I could nerf the Luger, but then I'd have to introduce another similar weapon, so the problem will remain (although not necessarily with the 'more unrealistic' part). I can tighten the range though, and maybe make it a bit slower.Hey, I love the Luger too. Didn't I say so in my impression dump? The problem is that it's better than everything else except at really long or really short ranges, which is maybe a bit too useful ;) This is especially true given how easy it currently is to get agents with 90+ accuracy. To me, it's almost fine, and decreasing pistol aim ranges to 25 (default dropoff is what? 2% per tile, so that's 10% less accuracy at range, and actually increasing the accuracy loss to 3. So gradual nerf from 25 and 15% drop in accuracy past 30 tiles). I like the TU cost at 32%, to get 3 aimed shots if stationary and that seems to be a design decision for pistols. I was going to suggest a slight nerf in damage, but after comparing expected damage between it and the magnum, it seems pretty fine.
Thoughts?
Quote
Perhaps you mean HKMP5? Because the Blackmarch SMG uses HKMP5 sprite. :PYes, now that you say the name, I recognize it. I was initially not very impressed, but after trying it (I wanted a rifle damnit!), it is nice.
Yeah, it's good. I think it reflects its real counterpart rather well.
Quote
Is increasing range for all SMGs what you have in mind? Because it's a ~possibility.It depends on what you intend to do with pistols. It feels like two handed weapon should be more accurate at longer range than a pistol. I suggested a pistol range nerf above. Increasing the range of SMGs could work too, maybe. In my experience, most fights happen in < 30 tiles, so giving things abilities to reach much beyond 30 tiles does not change much (except for sniper/HMG type weapons, where being stationary and reaching all the way across the map is the point). As such, I think reducing pistol ranges is more effective than increasing SMG range, because it makes pistols less good in parts of the fighting distances, instead of making SMGs better in ranges that aren't really all that relevant.
Quote
Something like this, yes.Glad you like it :)
Edit: one thing I forgot to say: I find it very odd to see these pistols with 30+ damage, up to 38 damage in the early game, but not finding rifles with at least equivalent damage, if not better.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 15, 2016, 11:51:51 pm
Hey, I love the Luger too. Didn't I say so in my impression dump? The problem is that it's better than everything else except at really long or really short ranges, which is maybe a bit too useful ;) This is especially true given how easy it currently is to get agents with 90+ accuracy. To me, it's almost fine, and decreasing pistol aim ranges to 25 (default dropoff is what? 2% per tile, so that's 10% less accuracy at range, and actually increasing the accuracy loss to 3. So gradual nerf from 25 and 15% drop in accuracy past 30 tiles). I like the TU cost at 32%, to get 3 aimed shots if stationary and that seems to be a design decision for pistols. I was going to suggest a slight nerf in damage, but after comparing expected damage between it and the magnum, it seems pretty fine.
To quote the classic: "Yes, I have bankai. You want bankai? Here's bankai. BANKAI!" (https://youtu.be/h9W__HA-3UU)
Now most pistols have range of either 20 or 25. We'll see how it plays.
Edit: one thing I forgot to say: I find it very odd to see these pistols with 30+ damage, up to 38 damage in the early game, but not finding rifles with at least equivalent damage, if not better.
OK, I'll think about it, but it's not bad on principle. I mean, you're a detective...
Post by: Arthanor on September 16, 2016, 12:38:07 am
Also, I have no opposition to having crappy equipment, especially at the beginning, because we're detectives and not soldiers. That's totally fine. But, regardless of who are firing them, are rifles really weaker than pistols? In the sense of being hit by an AK-47 bullet being less of a problem than being hit by a pistol of some kind? I don't know much about weapons, admittedly, but I thought that rifles would be at least on par with pistols, if not more powerful. Admittedly, maybe I'm comparing only low power rifles to high power pistols, given that my selection of rifles is much much smaller than my selection of pistols.
Post by: Drasnighta on September 16, 2016, 12:59:00 am
Sounds good!
Also, I have no opposition to having crappy equipment, especially at the beginning, because we're detectives and not soldiers. That's totally fine. But, regardless of who are firing them, are rifles really weaker than pistols? In the sense of being hit by an AK-47 bullet being less of a problem than being hit by a pistol of some kind? I don't know much about weapons, admittedly, but I thought that rifles would be at least on par with pistols, if not more powerful. Admittedly, maybe I'm comparing only low power rifles to high power pistols, given that my selection of rifles is much much smaller than my selection of pistols.
If you want to bring a little real-world into it... It can matter, indeed...
There was a problem in Afghanistan that high-powered rifles that were intended for use against Body armour, were essentially hitting unarmoured people, making a tiny entrance wound, passing through, and leaving a tiny exit wound - hurting, but not appreciably stopping said unarmoured person...
Whereas a lower speed Pistol (or more commonly, a lower powered tumbling-round rifle) did much more *damage* by either remaining in the target, or making larger exit wounds......
So yes, paradoxically, a lot of rifles WILL do less damage to someone than a Pistol of the appreciable calibre, because the speed and flight characteristics of the bullets themselves are fundamentally different.
Post by: Arthanor on September 16, 2016, 01:16:25 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 16, 2016, 08:54:49 am
Having said that, no, I don't think pistols should overall be stronger than rifles. (I misunderstood the issue at first.) But is this the case? A strong pistol like Colt has damage 30, the same as a standard rifle (AK47, Blackops Rifle). Most pistols are weaker.
Post by: Meridian on September 16, 2016, 10:57:49 am
This is exactly the problem with X-Com engine: it doesn't account for penetration. You can't have hollow point ammo, AP ammo etc. I mean you could, but it'd require separate damage types, and we only have 10 of these.
Why does this require a new damage type?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 16, 2016, 12:17:14 pm
Why does this require a new damage type?
Well, I haven't been able to come up with any other method of simulating various ammo types... Because damage type is exactly what it is.
Post by: Meridian on September 16, 2016, 12:56:34 pm
If yes, why not use one (or more) of Yankes' new damage altering parameters?
Code: [Select]
- type: STR_SNIPER_RIFLE_CLIP
battleType: 2
power: 30
damageType: 1 # DT_AP
damageAlter:
ArmorEffectiveness: 1.0 # armor is 100% effective
ToArmorPre: 0.0 # no extra damage to armor
- type: STR_SNIPER_RIFLE_CLIP_PENETRATING
battleType: 2
power: 30
damageType: 1 # also DT_AP
damageAlter:
ArmorEffectiveness: 0.5 # armor is 50% effective
ToArmorPre: 0.1 # destroys 10% of armor before each hit/damage calculation
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 16, 2016, 02:04:25 pm
You just want one ammo to penetrate armor better than the other ammo, right?
Because it's not only a matter of armour penetration as understood by X-Com, it's a matter of different damage types sensu stricto. A HP bullet behaves differently from an AP bullet. It could be approximated by giving HP bullets much more damage and a hefty armour penetration penalty, but that'd be really confusing when it comes to damage values. I just don't want to do something this hackish.
Post by: Meridian on September 16, 2016, 02:22:55 pm
Because it's not only a matter of armour penetration as understood by X-Com, it's a matter of different damage types sensu stricto. A HP bullet behaves differently from an AP bullet. It could be approximated by giving HP bullets much more damage and a hefty armour penetration penalty, but that'd be really confusing when it comes to damage values. I just don't want to do something this hackish.
Well, then what kind of non-hackish effect do you want?
I could add 20 more damage types already today, it's a matter of few hours... but they would be fundamentally no different from any other existing damage types (i.e. you couldn't do anything brand new with them as far as I understand)... I just don't understand how adding another type helps you?
There's no difference between for example DT_AP and DT_ACID or between DT_LASER and DT_PLASMA, except for the name/translation... or is there?
Just trying to find out what you're looking for... cos I just don't quite see it yet.
Post by: yrizoud on September 16, 2016, 04:03:46 pm
But IMO, don't give a choice to the player if he doesn't have the information to take a decision.
Before mind probe is used, alien lifeforms are complete unknowns, it's impossible to know if they resist 7 shots because high armor, high hp, or luck. Humans are expected to be consistent to their role and appearance, but this is limited by the graphics and flavor design :
- military types can logically have access to ballistic protection, but be drawn as camo clothed anyway.
- *straining eyes* is this blue thing a Nirvana t-shirt or a bulletproof armor ?
- *thinking* is this important church guy naked under his robe, or wearing plot armor because game reasons ?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 16, 2016, 04:10:23 pm
I could add 20 more damage types already today, it's a matter of few hours... but they would be fundamentally no different from any other existing damage types (i.e. you couldn't do anything brand new with them as far as I understand)... I just don't understand how adding another type helps you?
Well, new damage types would mean new "elements". This would allow me to balance weapons with armour. If for example you add "HP damage" (hollow point) as 11th type, then I can make some weapons that currently have AP damage (generally, pistols), add appropriate resistance to units (good res for mechanical units regardless of armour, bad res for most living units) and therefore make the armoury more varied/realistic. (There are other bullet types too, I only give these two as extremes.)
Is it worth it? Some players say yes, as they are pointing out inconsistencies in the weapon behaviour that boil down to this problem. In my opinion no, if it's just to differentiate between AP and HP bullets; I can live with unification of firearms. But being able to define new damage types would be invaluable, since you could have many new weapon types that are currently impossible or need to be incorrectly classified as one of the basic 10 damage - for example, electric damage as plasma. This would be so rad.
@Yrizoud: yeah, good points. I wouldn't make it this unclear to the player though.
Post by: Meridian on September 16, 2016, 04:36:25 pm
In vanilla OXC, a few damage types (stun, smoke and incendiary) have some special behavior... but the rest is totally identical (there's no difference between AP, Acid, Plasma, Laser, Melee, ...).
In OXCE, Yankes unhardcoded all of this and now there is no difference between them at all. You can make AP work as Smoke, or Incendiary work as Plasma. As far as I understand, the only thing we need the damage type for is the display the name of it to the user in the Ufopedia and to define resistance to it on various armors.
Back to your 11th type... why on earth would I hard-code a new damage type to do only health damage... if all available damage types already can do health damage if you tell them to (actually it's not damage types, it's actual ammo items... as I said damage type is just a name).
So if you need:
a/ different translation for your new damage type
b/ or different armor resistances to your new damage type
... I can make a few for you (let's say 5 new?).
But they would be bare, without any special effects (just like plasma, laser, AP, acid, ...).
And I would even call them DT_11, DT_12, DT_13, etc. to prevent confusion that they actually are hardcoded to do something specific in the code.
@Yankes: if you're reading this, maybe you can confirm/disprove what I just said.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 16, 2016, 05:49:30 pm
I'll give an example. Let's say we're importing Deep Ones from TFTD to UFO (I mean the white transformed humans). Deep Ones use electric damage to attack. This damage type would be decent against non-armoured humans, excellent against machines and poor against most types of armour, which is expressed in resistance value against electricity. How would I go about it?
These questions are also aimed at Yankes; if you read this, please respond.
PS. This issue is one half of the damage mechanics improvement plan Dioxine and I have devised, the other half being multiple damage types per attack (see Solar's Wishlist for details).
Post by: Meridian on September 16, 2016, 06:02:03 pm
Frankly, I don't understand some parts of your post (the fact it's Friday evening is probably responsible, at least partially). Are you saying I can already add another type of damage that would correspond to a new unique resistance type?
No, I didn't say you can add new damage types :)
Only that you can modify the existing ones as you wish... and perform "special" effects (like e.g. hp damage) by other means.
Special effects are not hardcoded in OXCE anymore; and don't depend on damage type (other than backwards compatibility with vanilla, which you can override too if you wish).
If you need a unique resistance type, I will have to create it for you.... that's point b/ in my previous post.
I'll play with that over the weekend and prepare an experimental version for you with a few more generic damage/resistance types added.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 16, 2016, 06:39:12 pm
What would be best is if it was possible to add new damage automatically, so for example I enter "damageType: 16" and the game simply recognizes it as damage type 16, so if there are 17 or more resistances listed in the armour entry, the game automatically chooses 17th resistance to counter the damage (and if not, it assumes 100%).
But it's probably too complicated, so I'd be happy with just some new damage types beyond the vanilla 10. How many? It's a complex question; if we stay true to the original design, in think another 10 would be more than enough.
Or a way to emulate it with scripts, but it'd probably cause hell with things like Ufopaedia display, or my own understanding of ruleset. :)
Post by: Yankes on September 16, 2016, 07:54:10 pm
Let me repeat that once again, because I think you didn't understand what I said.99% confirm, 1% is `TileEngine::blockage` that handle specially propagation/tile blocking of explosion with damage type none and type smoke, hard to say how big effects this have on game play. I simply miss this part when I did unification of damage types.
In vanilla OXC, a few damage types (stun, smoke and incendiary) have some special behavior... but the rest is totally identical (there's no difference between AP, Acid, Plasma, Laser, Melee, ...).
In OXCE, Yankes unhardcoded all of this and now there is no difference between them at all. You can make AP work as Smoke, or Incendiary work as Plasma. As far as I understand, the only thing we need the damage type for is the display the name of it to the user in the Ufopedia and to define resistance to it on various armors.
Back to your 11th type... why on earth would I hard-code a new damage type to do only health damage... if all available damage types already can do health damage if you tell them to (actually it's not damage types, it's actual ammo items... as I said damage type is just a name).
So if you need:
a/ different translation for your new damage type
b/ or different armor resistances to your new damage type
... I can make a few for you (let's say 5 new?).
But they would be bare, without any special effects (just like plasma, laser, AP, acid, ...).
And I would even call them DT_11, DT_12, DT_13, etc. to prevent confusion that they actually are hardcoded to do something specific in the code.
@Yankes: if you're reading this, maybe you can confirm/disprove what I just said.
Frankly, I don't understand some parts of your post (the fact it's Friday evening is probably responsible, at least partially). Are you saying I can already add another type of damage that would correspond to a new unique resistance type?This will be solved by Meridian when he add this "DT_11", only difference to other damage types will be from what position in armor resist table its will read value.
I'll give an example. Let's say we're importing Deep Ones from TFTD to UFO (I mean the white transformed humans). Deep Ones use electric damage to attack. This damage type would be decent against non-armoured humans, excellent against machines and poor against most types of armour, which is expressed in resistance value against electricity. How would I go about it?
If this is still confusing let me elaborate:
in OXC damage type and damage behavior are link together.
Damage type define what position is read in `damageModifier` in armor. (we can name it resistances)
Damage behavior is how units starts interact with damage, e.g. "do only stun is applied?", "it is ignoring armor?".
in OXCE I split this two things, now damage behavior is part of item (`damageAlter`) and is independent to damage type.
Only moment they interact is when you set `damageType` on item, after that `damageAlter` will have default values same to damage behavior linked to that damage type in original OXC.
When Meridian add new damage types then only real difference will be that `damageModifier` in armor will have more possible values:
Code: [Select]
damageModifier:[1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0] #old
damageModifier:[1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 13.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0] #new
and now item with `damageType:10` it will do 13 time more damage to that armor. Difference to `ToHealth` is that latter apply to all armors.For multiple damage types per attack will be possible in 3.4 (3.3 will be around next week finished). But this will be done by scripts.
Post by: Arthanor on September 17, 2016, 06:20:25 pm
After killing my first reaper, I decided to go all Jurassic Park on the second and catch it. After what I deemed to be enough "softening fire", I moved 3 agents with stun batons (still haven't gotten around to buying tazers, silly me). 1 agent with a HKMP5 was providing cover fire, since sometimes it feels like you can make an alien rethink their advance if they are under fire. When the reaper got close enough, agents moved in, whacked it, and the HKMP5 finished the job (enough stun damage applied, you can apply proper damage and lower HP below the stun damage done). Woot! Captured reaper! But nope.. alien dies because of no containment :'(
If it's a wild reaper, presumably it can live in the wild? Why can't I keep it in animal pens?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 17, 2016, 07:53:39 pm
If it's a wild reaper, presumably it can live in the wild? Why can't I keep it in animal pens?
Yeah, it's an omission on my part.
I give you my permission to manually add a living Reaper to the save. :)
EDIT: coming soon!
(https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4595.0;attach=23999;image)
Post by: HelmetHair on September 17, 2016, 09:03:04 pm
Oh, HEEEEELLL NO!
What next?
Ass cancer lolipops?
Why do you hate my agents so much... oh god.
You better add something like a Saiga 12.
Excellent work.
Post by: ohartenstein23 on September 17, 2016, 09:11:55 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 18, 2016, 01:35:47 pm
- Fixed broken Ufopaedia entries for the new prison facilities.
- Some Ufopaedia updates.
- More Cyberdiscs in Cydonia.
- Slightly increased Zombies aggression.
- Added new city blocks by Civilian.
- Added stat caps on Gym training.
- Gym is a bit less efficient.
- Reduced effective ranges on pistols.
- Added Concussion Cannon with ammo to the T'leth weaponry.
- Leather Coats are now buyable and require Personal Protection.
- Hidden Caves arc started.
- Fixed a random fatal crash on Black Lotus Witch interrogation.
- Fixed too many Zombie missions bug.
- Fixed a small error in the DAWNURBAN12 map.
- Added missing Tasoth researches.
- Some new minor stuff.
Post by: Arthanor on September 19, 2016, 02:02:45 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 19, 2016, 02:49:30 am
Woot! Cool stuff coming :D What would you think of a reaper sprite without armor? To make it look really wild.
I'd love it, and the same goes to Salamandron.
Unfortunately, Falko's tools recently disappeared, so no more new big units for now...
Post by: Arthanor on September 19, 2016, 04:32:48 am
Another thing: I got a rifle, SA-80, which I don't know much about, and apparently my scientists refuse to work on. If you think there is a reason why I shouldn't be able to buy more (or more ammo for it) by simply researching it, that's fine. But it'd be nice to get some info on what it does. I would suggest a system where you have one STR_RIFLE_SA80 research topic with "needitem: true" for the gun so it can be researched and tells what it does (ie gives a ufopaedia article, the equivalent of taking it to a firing range for a bit of time, I'd guess?), and a different topic, which has the dependencies of the current one, and is what is needed to buy the weapon and ammo (what actually takes more time as you have to setup the contacts, permissions and logistics). It makes sense in Piratez to not be able to study advanced guns when the gals are in the stone age, but for modern rifles in XComFiles it is less logical.
Also, thanks for the live reaper :D
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 19, 2016, 10:38:38 am
Editing the sprite sheet should be doable any ways, but I don't have tools to fix up the palette after I mess things up. I'll look into it any ways. The sprite work will take a while any ways.. Hopefully by then, Falko's tools will come back. They were really useful.
If it's just about the palette, then it's no problem, it's 2 seconds in Photoshop. I'd be happy to convert anything.
But how to cut these sheets properly is certainly beyond me.
Another thing: I got a rifle, SA-80, which I don't know much about, and apparently my scientists refuse to work on. If you think there is a reason why I shouldn't be able to buy more (or more ammo for it) by simply researching it, that's fine. But it'd be nice to get some info on what it does. I would suggest a system where you have one STR_RIFLE_SA80 research topic with "needitem: true" for the gun so it can be researched and tells what it does (ie gives a ufopaedia article, the equivalent of taking it to a firing range for a bit of time, I'd guess?), and a different topic, which has the dependencies of the current one, and is what is needed to buy the weapon and ammo (what actually takes more time as you have to setup the contacts, permissions and logistics). It makes sense in Piratez to not be able to study advanced guns when the gals are in the stone age, but for modern rifles in XComFiles it is less logical.
Yes, there are some things to be ironed out like this one. I'm not doing this yet because everything keeps changing.
Also, thanks for the live reaper :D
Have fun, and don't forget to walk it twice a day.
Post by: JeyP on September 19, 2016, 04:24:56 pm
About balancing weapons there already plenty factors to do it. Accuracy, damage, TU cost, power bonus, asarc (aimed shoot accurate range cap), reload speed, weight. And there are already plenty done just a little tweaks are needed.
-pistols ~20-25 dmg, can make 3 aimed and 4-5 snap, asarc 20/25 and drop for 3% witch each tile (like Arthanor said) becouse pistols shouldn't be powerfull enought to snipe with them.
-assault rifles ~30 dmg, 2 aimed, 3 snap, 2 auto, asarc 20/25 witch 2% each tile drop
-rifle, sniper ~35-40 damage, 1 aimed, 2-3 snap, no asarc, power bonus firing*0,1-0,2
Weight and reload speed depend of weapon model.
Isn't field of view to big ? Maybe becouse of smal maps at the begining but just remembered that i didn't use scouts in 0.3 just snipe with lugers from afar.
Quick test run 0.31 and crash.
Post by: Meridian on September 19, 2016, 04:55:17 pm
Quick test run 0.31 and crash.
Simple answer: no aliens are generated for the map/deployment and OpenXcom says: no, you don't.
More complicated answer.
Code: [Select]
- type: STR_CULT_APPREHENSION_CHURCH_OF_DAGON
data:
- alienRank: 5
lowQty: 0
highQty: 3
dQty: 1
percentageOutsideUfo: 70
On Beginner, the number of spawned aliens is: lowQty + random(0, dQty) + random(0, extraQty)
In this case: 0 + random(0, 1) + random(0, 0)
Possible outcomes: 0 or 1.
Your outcome: 0
QED.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 19, 2016, 08:09:39 pm
But hmm, if there are no enemies, the mission should simply end! Err, it means victory, right? :)
Post by: Meridian on September 19, 2016, 09:56:18 pm
But hmm, if there are no enemies, the mission should simply end! Err, it means victory, right? :)
Mission ends when there were enemies and all were killed during the crash.
If there are no enemies, the very fabric of spacetime starts falling apart.
Post by: Arthanor on September 20, 2016, 03:09:03 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 20, 2016, 10:10:27 am
Been playing some more and having a good time using Nitro rifles. But, it struck me how deadly some of the engagements are, compared to what we see in the news. I know in Piratez Dioxine talked about increasing stun damage of common firearms, so that firearms become more debilitating and less outright deadly. I think that would be a great thing to have in XCom-Files as well, so you can apprehend suspects (or capture alien life forms) after they have been wounded.
That's possible; a major overhaul, but worth considering.
Surrender mechanics would be better though. :)
Post by: Arthanor on September 20, 2016, 06:12:33 pm
Edit: Also, it'd be more user friendly to use descriptive words for research projects (I'm thinking here of the Dragonfly specifically) than weird given names. Luckily, I had just read about the Dragonfly so I knew it was something significant, but others might not.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 20, 2016, 08:08:04 pm
They're two different things. Surrender works for active enemies. Adding stun damage allows to simulate "shooting in the shoulder/leg and capturing the guy squirming in pain on the floor". In XCom, everything is either irrelevant or a kill shot. Adding stun damage would allow this poor guy with already 3 bullet wounds to lie down instead of trying to fight back and getting killed by a 4th. Right now, the minute amount of stun damage added is barely ever useful. Only when units are within an inch of death do they actually fall, usually to die off next turn any ways.
Yeah, I totally understand and share your view. My worry is that firearms in general would be hard to get for the player, because they would all display incomplete damage (basic damage, not the stun extra) in the Ufopaedia and their damage values would have to be lowered a little, too... So I'm not sure it's acceptable.
Edit: Also, it'd be more user friendly to use descriptive words for research projects (I'm thinking here of the Dragonfly specifically) than weird given names. Luckily, I had just read about the Dragonfly so I knew it was something significant, but others might not.
OK, I'll rethink the names at some point.
Post by: yrizoud on September 20, 2016, 09:33:02 pm
- no death sound
- never suffer fatal wounds
- do take "additional stun damage" from most damage (like vanilla)
This way, when zombies silently collapse under fire, the player is left with the uncomfortable situation that they are *very probably* dead, but there's always the lingering risk that one is technically stunned, and will rise after a few turns while nobody is watching.
Post by: Arthanor on September 20, 2016, 09:53:14 pm
Yeah, I totally understand and share your view. My worry is that firearms in general would be hard to get for the player, because they would all display incomplete damage (basic damage, not the stun extra) in the Ufopaedia and their damage values would have to be lowered a little, too... So I'm not sure it's acceptable.
Yes, it's pushing things a bit. I'm not sure what the cleanest communication would be. The best would be if the weapons would do a flat % of basic damage as stun. So if a gun lists 25 damage and 30% to stun, it does 0-50 damage (times 1-resistance, minus armor), and 30% of the damage result as stun.
Edit: Maybe I should make a mod to yours to try it?
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OK, I'll rethink the names at some point.
Something like "Special Ops Transport" or "Black Helicopter" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_helicopter)
I had an idea for the zombies : Give them a combination of :Mean! But I like it. I don't think zombies suffer fatal wounds already, since I don't remember ever having to heal one and I have way more than enough live ones. No death sound would be infuriating :P I already walk to any zombie that didn't shout to give them a face full of lead (after I got bit in the back twice...). Now I'd have to do it for all of them!
- no death sound
- never suffer fatal wounds
- do take "additional stun damage" from most damage (like vanilla)
This way, when zombies silently collapse under fire, the player is left with the uncomfortable situation that they are *very probably* dead, but there's always the lingering risk that one is technically stunned, and will rise after a few turns while nobody is watching.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 21, 2016, 10:28:22 am
I had an idea for the zombies : Give them a combination of :
- no death sound
- never suffer fatal wounds
- do take "additional stun damage" from most damage (like vanilla)
This way, when zombies silently collapse under fire, the player is left with the uncomfortable situation that they are *very probably* dead, but there's always the lingering risk that one is technically stunned, and will rise after a few turns while nobody is watching.
Yeah, I get the concept, but wouldn't it be just mean? These missions already take long, I'm afraid it'd be even worse if the player had to worry about enemies standing up so much. It'd be like Ghouls in Piratez, but worse (more enemies).
Yes, it's pushing things a bit. I'm not sure what the cleanest communication would be. The best would be if the weapons would do a flat % of basic damage as stun. So if a gun lists 25 damage and 30% to stun, it does 0-50 damage (times 1-resistance, minus armor), and 30% of the damage result as stun.
Edit: Maybe I should make a mod to yours to try it?
Sure, go ahead. I won't be working on the mod within the next few days anyway, so you could give it a try.
Something like "Special Ops Transport" or "Black Helicopter" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_helicopter)
At this point it could even be called "Air Transport" and still sound like an improvement. :D
Post by: hellrazor on September 21, 2016, 04:00:48 pm
Yeah, I get the concept, but wouldn't it be just mean? These missions already take long, I'm afraid it'd be even worse if the player had to worry about enemies standing up so much. It'd be like Ghouls in Piratez, but worse (more enemies).
Sure, go ahead. I won't be working on the mod within the next few days anyway, so you could give it a try.
At this point it could even be called "Air Transport" and still sound like an improvement. :D
Make them so always have 1 HP left, immune to fatal wounds, gaining +2 HP each turn. They will always be coming back... :)
Post by: HelmetHair on September 22, 2016, 03:30:01 am
Make them so always have 1 HP left, immune to fatal wounds, gaining +2 HP each turn. They will always be coming back... :)
No. Meat is still meat; be it dead or alive. A large caliber bullet destroying a section of the spinal cord cripples the zombie. destruction of pelvic girdle or shoulder girdle means a greatly reduced amount of movement or the inability to lift the hands.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 22, 2016, 10:23:55 am
No. Meat is still meat; be it dead or alive. A large caliber bullet destroying a section of the spinal cord cripples the zombie. destruction of pelvic girdle or shoulder girdle means a greatly reduced amount of movement or the inability to lift the hands.
Yep. Materialism.
I didn't want to go for this argument straight away, but it's true that without excessive amounts of Elerium it's impossible to have a unit that regenerates on the fly.
Post by: hellrazor on September 22, 2016, 05:22:29 pm
Yep. Materialism.
I didn't want to go for this argument straight away, but it's true that without excessive amounts of Elerium it's impossible to have a unit that regenerates on the fly.
Is there any way to spawn a new unit in vanilla OCX from a dead unit like the zombies do spawn Chryssalids?
Ok "spawnUnits:" takes care of this.
Lets make "Regenarators"!!!
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 22, 2016, 05:25:15 pm
Is there any way to spawn a new unit in vanilla OCX from a dead unit like the zombies do spawn Chryssalids?
You mean from a dying unit?
Yes, obviously, using the same flag as the Zombie. All you need is to add the spawning animation.
This is used for example in Piratez for Beastmasters, which shed their armour after being hit too much.
Post by: hellrazor on September 22, 2016, 05:27:13 pm
You mean from a dying unit?
Yes, obviously, using the same flag as the Zombie. All you need is to add the spawning animation.
This is used for example in Piratez for Beastmasters, which shed their armour after being hit too much.
Does it need a animation, or does it also work without one? Need to test this later. I want "Regenerators". Immune to stun!
Post by: Arthanor on September 22, 2016, 05:46:08 pm
Edit: Back to the guns causing extra stun damage:
I started to work on it, then I realized, it doesn't make more sense for normal guns to cause stun damage than for, say, lasers. I also noticed plasma weapons already have a huge ToStun value, presumably for the concussion/burn effect? Which means explosives should get some too, and so on.. Then it seemed a bit big of a thing to get started on! Here's what I was thinking:
1 - I don't want to change the power/resist/armor relationship. So I will use "ToHealth" and "ToStun" to split the current power between health and stun. This means that if something would have gotten down in the current system, it will with the additional stun, but it might still be alive (to bleed out unless stabilized).
2 - Most weapons wouldn't get much stun, I am thinking of 13% (so 87% to health, and the ratio of stun to health is pretty much 15%). This reduces the odds of one shot kills a bit, but the usual 2-3 hit kills shouldn't get changed much as the subsequent hits are likely to deplete the remaining health regardless of stun damage. Against some enemies which take many hits, like zombies, this will make stuns more likely, but zombies falling and getting back up isn't really a bad thing ;) (also, this makes carrying combat blades to finish off zombies with the execute function more worthwhile, or just walking up to them and giving them a face full of lead).
3 - Explosive weapons would get 20% stun (80% health, 25% ratio) to tie them in with plasma weapons
4- Conversely, some stun weapons (like Tazers and electric clubs) would get a small portion of lethal damage. Repeatedly tazing someone has been shown to cause issue. It won't affect gameplay much, since you only have to bring health below stun damage to stun something, so reducing health is as effective as increasing stun damage. It will, however, make it harder to keep something stunned longer or to restun something that has been rendered unconscious by lethal weapons.
Edit 2: Man I'm "spamming the thread!
I just got to Promotion II and "Woot!" is quite appropriate :D I was starting to wonder, since I am in Summer 1998, if I was going too slow or something. But it seems like I am about on time, so well done on the pacing!
Another comment dump:
1 - I'm gaging my progress with the vanilla UFO starting date: Where am I at compared to how close I am to January 1999. I'm now building workshops so that's good, but I don't have blueprints for labs. I'm guessing that it will follow after doing some stuff for the chief researcher. Still missing a bunch of other vanilla stuff too (chiefly: grenades, the heavy weapons I can understand). Which brings us to:
2 - Weapons access is too restricted. I just got promoted, so I now have access to LMGs and Sniper Rifles, but I still don't have a proper rifle beyond the HKMP5. I looted some M16 and some other gun that uses them, but I can't buy them (and I self-restrict to things I can buy or make, since this is a proper organization, not Piratez!) and I can't research them. I would reiterate the suggestion of using the promotions to "unlock" stuff that should have gotten unlocked before. Ex.: Promotion I soon gives you access to the Dragonfly, so it could unlock the van in order to give the player some time for "van play" before the Dragonfly. Similarly, promotions could unlock basic weapons. I can now buy dynamite, incendiary grenades, etc. but not regular grenades?
3 - Great job building up the encounters. The suspect apprehensions work well with the car, the activity manageable with the van and easy with the dragonfly and the outpost are challenging with the dragonfly, so it really feels like things are scaling up. And the dragonfly lets me bring doggies!
4 - Holy cow those Black Lotus Assassins. How much do you hate our agents?! I had one kill 3 agents and a dog before I could do anything. On my turn, one throwing knife kill out of nowhere, then dog gets it too. On its turn, nothing. On my 2nd turn, move a soldier up, reaction killed. Move another soldier up, reaction killed but I now see it. Remaining soldiers kill the damn dude. Then I notice the interrupted movement caused by "reaction fire blocked by maxrange" and think: If that's another assassin, I can't take it. 4 remaining agents grab the witch and her fancy bracelet and abort. I understand that the camo is better than the loftemp hack, but at least that allowed you to spot things at a greater distance if you were lucky to get the right angle. This, before motion detectors, is insane. I would suggest giving them ninja stars instead of throwing knives. It would be more in character (they're ninjas!) and also give agents a chance to survive one hit.
5 - Nitro Express Rifle: I can't get a decent rifle, but that thing is a monster! Better than the sniper rifle except in ammo count and weight, it feels.. wrong. It was a no-brainer to give it to pretty much everyone, except ~2 agents with the highest reaction who got HKMP5s and shotguns for close up work. I don't really understand why it scales so well with firing (if it's designed to kill elephants, wouldn't it always hit hard if you can hit? Or maybe I guess you have to hit "properly" or something?).
6 - I think it would be nice to distinguish between ammo/weapons that are supposed to pierce armor and those which are supposed to damage flesh. Just tweaking the "applied armor" would make it doable, and allow to distinguish between say, the nitro express and other hunting weapons which are for hunting animals (ie large power, don't do well against armor) and the military weapons (especially the sniper rifle) which is for taking out humans (and the few beasties with "armor"). The enemies already create two kind of fights since beasties don't shoot but humans do, further differentiating by making certain weapons better against one or the other would diversify the gameplay even more instead of "Nitro for everyone".
7 - I have a sprite sheet, bigob and floorob for a dog with an armored vest (akin to the ones used in military/police operations). Would you be interested? I feel like once you get armored vests with helmets, the dogs could get something too!
8 - I've already said it, but again: Great work! I've played way too much of this.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 23, 2016, 12:08:19 pm
Does it need a animation, or does it also work without one? Need to test this later. I want "Regenerators". Immune to stun!
I think it used to crash without the animation, but I'm not sure about how it works now. Such animations are easy to do though.
Endgame zombies which spawn a new zombie upon dying? Need to use a weapon with overkill to completely destroy them. Otherwise they keep coming!
Wicked idea. I like it. Not for usual Zombies of course.
Edit: Back to the guns causing extra stun damage:
I started to work on it, then I realized, it doesn't make more sense for normal guns to cause stun damage than for, say, lasers. I also noticed plasma weapons already have a huge ToStun value, presumably for the concussion/burn effect? Which means explosives should get some too, and so on..
Yeah... There's plenty of decisions to be made. In this model, lasers are reasonably "clean", they cut well but don't mess up your insides otherwise, and also they cauterize the wound. Plasma is more explosive and burny, and bullets carry kinetic energy (especially non-AP bullets, but we can't have the distinction yet).
But as I said, it's just a model, one of many possible.
Then it seemed a bit big of a thing to get started on! Here's what I was thinking:
1 - I don't want to change the power/resist/armor relationship. So I will use "ToHealth" and "ToStun" to split the current power between health and stun. This means that if something would have gotten down in the current system, it will with the additional stun, but it might still be alive (to bleed out unless stabilized).
OK, but remember that the additional damage isn't shown in the damage display. This can get confusing!
2 - Most weapons wouldn't get much stun, I am thinking of 13% (so 87% to health, and the ratio of stun to health is pretty much 15%). This reduces the odds of one shot kills a bit, but the usual 2-3 hit kills shouldn't get changed much as the subsequent hits are likely to deplete the remaining health regardless of stun damage. Against some enemies which take many hits, like zombies, this will make stuns more likely, but zombies falling and getting back up isn't really a bad thing ;) (also, this makes carrying combat blades to finish off zombies with the execute function more worthwhile, or just walking up to them and giving them a face full of lead).
...I'm really starting to think we need additional display for damageAlter. :P
3 - Explosive weapons would get 20% stun (80% health, 25% ratio) to tie them in with plasma weapons
4- Conversely, some stun weapons (like Tazers and electric clubs) would get a small portion of lethal damage. Repeatedly tazing someone has been shown to cause issue. It won't affect gameplay much, since you only have to bring health below stun damage to stun something, so reducing health is as effective as increasing stun damage. It will, however, make it harder to keep something stunned longer or to restun something that has been rendered unconscious by lethal weapons.
I thought about it, but dropped for simplicity.
But it looks like simplicity is not an excuse any more. :P
I just got to Promotion II and "Woot!" is quite appropriate :D
Congrats! :)
1 - I'm gaging my progress with the vanilla UFO starting date: Where am I at compared to how close I am to January 1999. I'm now building workshops so that's good, but I don't have blueprints for labs. I'm guessing that it will follow after doing some stuff for the chief researcher. Still missing a bunch of other vanilla stuff too (chiefly: grenades, the heavy weapons I can understand).
Labs are fairly easy to get. Grenades are not. :)
2 - Weapons access is too restricted. I just got promoted, so I now have access to LMGs and Sniper Rifles, but I still don't have a proper rifle beyond the HKMP5. I looted some M16 and some other gun that uses them, but I can't buy them (and I self-restrict to things I can buy or make, since this is a proper organization, not Piratez!) and I can't research them.
Weird, I think you should after Promotion II. I'll check when I can.
I would reiterate the suggestion of using the promotions to "unlock" stuff that should have gotten unlocked before. Ex.: Promotion I soon gives you access to the Dragonfly, so it could unlock the van in order to give the player some time for "van play" before the Dragonfly. Similarly, promotions could unlock basic weapons.
I think I've already explained it's problematic because of how tech tree works in X-Com. But I promise I will try to think of some compromise.
I can now buy dynamite, incendiary grenades, etc. but not regular grenades?
Because it's strictly military stuff and the big boys don't want you to have them yet.
Dynamite is a bit of a grey area, as it's not technically a military weapon.
3 - Great job building up the encounters. The suspect apprehensions work well with the car, the activity manageable with the van and easy with the dragonfly and the outpost are challenging with the dragonfly, so it really feels like things are scaling up. And the dragonfly lets me bring doggies!
Well, I really need to finish the "dogs as soldiers" feature soon. :P
4 - Holy cow those Black Lotus Assassins. How much do you hate our agents?! I had one kill 3 agents and a dog before I could do anything. On my turn, one throwing knife kill out of nowhere, then dog gets it too. On its turn, nothing. On my 2nd turn, move a soldier up, reaction killed. Move another soldier up, reaction killed but I now see it. Remaining soldiers kill the damn dude. Then I notice the interrupted movement caused by "reaction fire blocked by maxrange" and think: If that's another assassin, I can't take it. 4 remaining agents grab the witch and her fancy bracelet and abort. I understand that the camo is better than the loftemp hack, but at least that allowed you to spot things at a greater distance if you were lucky to get the right angle. This, before motion detectors, is insane. I would suggest giving them ninja stars instead of throwing knives. It would be more in character (they're ninjas!) and also give agents a chance to survive one hit.
Well, the thing is that now they're generally easier than before, when they were just invisible. :P
"Reaction fire blocked by maxrange" isn't necessarily an Assassin. But if there's one, there are probably more...
And they use both knives and stars. Same with Warriors.
5 - Nitro Express Rifle: I can't get a decent rifle, but that thing is a monster! Better than the sniper rifle except in ammo count and weight, it feels.. wrong. It was a no-brainer to give it to pretty much everyone, except ~2 agents with the highest reaction who got HKMP5s and shotguns for close up work. I don't really understand why it scales so well with firing (if it's designed to kill elephants, wouldn't it always hit hard if you can hit? Or maybe I guess you have to hit "properly" or something?).
I stole it from Piratez. :P It's essentially the same weapon... But I'll rething it.
6 - I think it would be nice to distinguish between ammo/weapons that are supposed to pierce armor and those which are supposed to damage flesh. Just tweaking the "applied armor" would make it doable, and allow to distinguish between say, the nitro express and other hunting weapons which are for hunting animals (ie large power, don't do well against armor) and the military weapons (especially the sniper rifle) which is for taking out humans (and the few beasties with "armor"). The enemies already create two kind of fights since beasties don't shoot but humans do, further differentiating by making certain weapons better against one or the other would diversify the gameplay even more instead of "Nitro for everyone".
Yes, but I want to use damageType when it becomes possible.
7 - I have a sprite sheet, bigob and floorob for a dog with an armored vest (akin to the ones used in military/police operations). Would you be interested? I feel like once you get armored vests with helmets, the dogs could get something too!
Yes, sure :)
8 - I've already said it, but again: Great work! I've played way too much of this.
Sorry about your time... Sadly, I promise no improvement here. :)
Post by: Arthanor on September 23, 2016, 05:03:02 pm
OK, but remember that the additional damage isn't shown in the damage display. This can get confusing!That's the beauty of using "ToHealth" and "ToStun". The total power doesn't change, so the number displayed is actually accurate. What changes is the partition between how much of it is applied as health or stun damage, which I will report.
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...I'm really starting to think we need additional display for damageAlter. :PYeah, that'd be great!
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I thought about it, but dropped for simplicity.Well, if I make up a "stun gun mod", might as well go all the way!
But it looks like simplicity is not an excuse any more. :P
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Weird, I think you should after Promotion II. I'll check when I can.Maybe I can research them now but I didn't notice? I'll look this weekend too. I try to play spoiler free except for interrogations so I didn't look at the tech tree viewer.
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I think I've already explained it's problematic because of how tech tree works in X-Com. But I promise I will try to think of some compromise.I agree about the van, it doesn't work in the current system. But for guns there should be no problem as there is no story, just a new gun available for buying and in the ufopaedia.
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Because it's strictly military stuff and the big boys don't want you to have them yet.But.. I can get a sniper rifle! And automatic weapons! Alright, I guess hand-held explosives goes a bit further.. and dynamite is civilian access with some clearance, true. But what about incendiary grenades? They're not military stuff?
Quote
Well, I really need to finish the "dogs as soldiers" feature soon. :PSoldier dogs, with trainable reactions (as they learn to better react to the messed up stuff they encounter and could never be trained for) would be cool :D And having a doggy memorial.. I've lost a fair few, but they did save the life of agents! (except the one time where I though: Doggy can totally bite that spider to hell, and it's the spider that did it :( )
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Well, the thing is that now they're generally easier than before, when they were just invisible. :PWith the loftemp hack, you could spot them (well Piratez catgirls is what I have experience with) from 30 tiles away if you were at the right angle, these guys are invisible until what? 4 tiles? And 80% deadly (as in, only once did an assassin attack fail to kill my agent, because he missed with his katana! They hit and killed 100% of targets with throwing knives. I think 100% lethality is ok for aliens with plasma, but invisible ninjas.. I don't know. They're more of a "FU" than entertainment to me. Even Star Gods don't have a 100% kill ratio when shooting.)
"Reaction fire blocked by maxrange" isn't necessarily an Assassin. But if there's one, there are probably more...
And they use both knives and stars. Same with Warriors.
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I stole it from Piratez. :P It's essentially the same weapon... But I'll rething it.
Yes, but I want to use damageType when it becomes possible.
How about renaming "armor piercing" to "kinetic" and using damage alter? playing around with armor using damage alter can achieve almost the same thing as changing resistances. Maybe I'll do it in "StunGunz" and we'll see how it goes.
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Sorry about your time... Sadly, I promise no improvement here. :)No apologies required. I hope it gets worse ;D
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 23, 2016, 05:21:27 pm
That's the beauty of using "ToHealth" and "ToStun". The total power doesn't change, so the number displayed is actually accurate. What changes is the partition between how much of it is applied as health or stun damage, which I will report.
Yeah, I just thought it should be said. So that damage 45 really meant 0-90 damage minus armour.
I agree about the van, it doesn't work in the current system. But for guns there should be no problem as there is no story, just a new gun available for buying and in the ufopaedia.
Ah right, I get it now. Yes, I'll have a look.
But.. I can get a sniper rifle! And automatic weapons! Alright, I guess hand-held explosives goes a bit further.. and dynamite is civilian access with some clearance, true. But what about incendiary grenades? They're not military stuff?
I agree my choices were somewhat liberal... so here's how it is now. :D
Soldier dogs, with trainable reactions (as they learn to better react to the messed up stuff they encounter and could never be trained for) would be cool :D And having a doggy memorial.. I've lost a fair few, but they did save the life of agents! (except the one time where I though: Doggy can totally bite that spider to hell, and it's the spider that did it :( )
R.I.P. :(
With the loftemp hack, you could spot them (well Piratez catgirls is what I have experience with) from 30 tiles away if you were at the right angle, these guys are invisible until what? 4 tiles? And 80% deadly (as in, only once did an assassin attack fail to kill my agent, because he missed with his katana! They hit and killed 100% of targets with throwing knives. I think 100% lethality is ok for aliens with plasma, but invisible ninjas.. I don't know. They're more of a "FU" than entertainment to me. Even Star Gods don't have a 100% kill ratio when shooting.)
I don't think they're that deadly, maybe you got a little unlucky. But I'm open to suggestions.
How about renaming "armor piercing" to "kinetic" and using damage alter? playing around with armor using damage alter can achieve almost the same thing as changing resistances. Maybe I'll do it in "StunGunz" and we'll see how it goes.
Sure, experiments are good. We'll see how it goes.
But I still think more damage types are pretty much needed, so if we're getting them, I'd like to use them here too.
No apologies required. I hope it gets worse ;D
That's the plan. :P
Post by: Arthanor on September 23, 2016, 05:28:16 pm
I don't think they're that deadly, maybe you got a little unlucky. But I'm open to suggestions.
They've been murder machines to me. My current plan is to only land, kill and few and run away on Black Lotus engagements for now. I think I've got what I needed from the outposts (one assassin, the one who fumbled with his katana, and a bunch of witches) and the points are totally not worth the loss of my best agents (outpost missions being the deadliest, I sent the best 7 agents of a base, with my best dog, for them, so mass casualties are really penalizing).
Maybe I did get unlucky, indeed, I only have two experiences with assassins and they are wildly different (no casualties, 4 casualties) but I'll wait a bit more still before I dare encounter them again.
Post by: yrizoud on September 23, 2016, 07:03:02 pm
- Early weapon research brings a prototype and a few clip, before you can research how to build or buy infinite numbers
- Interrogation can bring back some loot, as the prisoner's information led our team to a cache
- "Live alien" study produces the relevant corpse, ready for autopsy
- Research nodes like "military advisor" can bring a specific amount of weapons and ammo, as the recruited guy arrives with some gifts.
All these are short-term benefits, especially when the items are expendables (typically: ammo). If you got 6 grenades and can't buy more, you're more confident than empty-handed, however you hesitate to waste them.
Post by: Nord on September 23, 2016, 07:48:26 pm
Exalt HQ is a freaking sh*t jurassic park! ;D
After 2 days (Two days of real time!) i decised to pick up stunned brainer and retreat. It was only option which came in my mind.
After that i researched crainer project, Eliminate Exalt project (sadly, it have no ufopedia entry). And... exalt bases continue to spawn. Is it must be like that?
And one more question: when radars was at last builded, i detect my first UFO. But i have no interceptors... I think it is feature (must catch first landed ufo maybe?) but not sure.
As always, excuse me for bad spelling.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 24, 2016, 12:38:18 pm
I wish research projects could "give" items.
Yeah, it's an interesting mechanics. I'd use it somehow.
After 2 days (Two days of real time!) i decised to pick up stunned brainer and retreat. It was only option which came in my mind.
Ugh. Tough. But it's only needed once.
After that i researched crainer project, Eliminate Exalt project (sadly, it have no ufopedia entry). And... exalt bases continue to spawn. Is it must be like that?
It shouldn't be happening:
Code: [Select]
- type: CultHQEXALT
researchTriggers:
STR_EXALT_HQ: true
STR_DESTROY_EXALT: false
Except if it's the same month as the research. I can't prevent this.
And one more question: when radars was at last builded, i detect my first UFO. But i have no interceptors... I think it is feature (must catch first landed ufo maybe?) but not sure.
Not exactly, but yes, at least you can track UFOs now. Planes will come later.
I agree about the van, it doesn't work in the current system. But for guns there should be no problem as there is no story, just a new gun available for buying and in the ufopaedia.
Regarding this issue: which ones should be unlockable by promotion? AK47 or M16? Uzi or Skorpion? etc.
Post by: Meridian on September 24, 2016, 02:59:46 pm
I wish research projects could "give" items. :
- Early weapon research brings a prototype and a few clip, before you can research how to build or buy infinite numbers
- Interrogation can bring back some loot, as the prisoner's information led our team to a cache
- "Live alien" study produces the relevant corpse, ready for autopsy
- Research nodes like "military advisor" can bring a specific amount of weapons and ammo, as the recruited guy arrives with some gifts.
All these are short-term benefits, especially when the items are expendables (typically: ammo). If you got 6 grenades and can't buy more, you're more confident than empty-handed, however you hesitate to waste them.
Yeah, interesting and easy to do.
Will do in the next few days... then we can get Menacing Hull and Tiny Drill later than right from the start :)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 24, 2016, 03:21:25 pm
@Arthanor: I keep thinking about the "firearms stun" idea and keep returning to the conclusion that it'd be to best to be able to modify damage types. So we could change the 0.25 extra stun damage to something else, like 0.4, but only to AP damage type.
Post by: Arthanor on September 24, 2016, 06:26:35 pm
As for stun gunz, I think there's some misunderstanding. The only thing that damage types do is have their own resist type. You can't set a certain damage type to get 40% stun, you have to set it for every ammo. So as far as I see it, the work I'll do for StunGunz will always be applicable.
If you switch the damage type of some ammo, that'll change the resist that is used against the ammo but that'll change nothing from what I do to partition health and stun damage (unless you also set damageAlter properties for ammos).
Effectively, armor piercing and hollow point bullets are both "kinetic" damage: you propel as heavy a piece of metal as fast as possible and hope the impact kills your enemy. AP could have lower damage but ignore some of the enemy's armor, HP could have higher damage but takes full (or more!) armor penalty. AP would probably do less stun damage as the wound is cleaner, HP would do more stun as the wound is a painful mess. But both would do more than lasers and less than plasma.
Gauss is a special case of kinetic damage which pushes momentum at the cost of mass. I'm thinking penetration would increase with energy and decrease with mass. If we scale stun inversely with penetration (a bullet that goes through leaves a clean wound vs a musket ball or hollow point leaves a painful mess), then gauss would be also get very little stun damage. By opposition, "mass driver railguns" would get lots of stun.
Altogether, this gives the possibility of:
Early game kinetic AP and HP
Midgame laser and mass drivers
Endgame gauss and plasma
Where each game tier has an AP and a high damage/high stun weapon.
Edit: I've attached the XAE_Attack_Dogs mod I made, which includes an alien alloy vest for dogs. A quick recolor (Falko, where are you!?!? And your tools!!) to a greyscale would make it a decent modern kevlar vest for doggies.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 24, 2016, 08:41:37 pm
I think "proper military weapons" should be what the promotions unlock. XCOM is a legit organization, not a bunch of insurgents. So M-16, not AK-47s, and.. I dunno which smg would be more applicable but whichever is more likely to be in use by western countries police/military.
So I need to earn a proper rifle? OK! :D
As for stun gunz, I think there's some misunderstanding. The only thing that damage types do is have their own resist type. You can't set a certain damage type to get 40% stun, you have to set it for every ammo. So as far as I see it, the work I'll do for StunGunz will always be applicable.
I'm kinda convinced that you can. For example, Stun doesn't cause (additional) stun. Fire doesn't cause fatal wounds. This sort of thing. (Unless I'm wrong?)
If you switch the damage type of some ammo, that'll change the resist that is used against the ammo but that'll change nothing from what I do to partition health and stun damage (unless you also set damageAlter properties for ammos).
Yeah, I get this.
Effectively, armor piercing and hollow point bullets are both "kinetic" damage: you propel as heavy a piece of metal as fast as possible and hope the impact kills your enemy. AP could have lower damage but ignore some of the enemy's armor, HP could have higher damage but takes full (or more!) armor penalty. AP would probably do less stun damage as the wound is cleaner, HP would do more stun as the wound is a painful mess. But both would do more than lasers and less than plasma.
This sounds really good. Can you please post an example?
Gauss is a special case of kinetic damage which pushes momentum at the cost of mass. I'm thinking penetration would increase with energy and decrease with mass. If we scale stun inversely with penetration (a bullet that goes through leaves a clean wound vs a musket ball or hollow point leaves a painful mess), then gauss would be also get very little stun damage. By opposition, "mass driver railguns" would get lots of stun.
Yep, sounds good.
Edit: I've attached the XAE_Attack_Dogs mod I made, which includes an alien alloy vest for dogs. A quick recolor (Falko, where are you!?!? And your tools!!) to a greyscale would make it a decent modern kevlar vest for doggies.
Thanks! I'll see what I can do.
Post by: Arthanor on September 24, 2016, 09:01:52 pm
So I need to earn a proper rifle? OK! :DI think the M-16, or whatever the vanilla rifle is, would be fine to unlock with Promotion II. It's oddly hard to unlock it through normal means.
Quote
I'm kinda convinced that you can. For example, Stun doesn't cause (additional) stun. Fire doesn't cause fatal wounds. This sort of thing. (Unless I'm wrong?)I'm pretty sure stun/incendiary/HE damage types are special snowflake damage types that get special treatment in the code to do something. My understanding is that what Meridian was/is offering you is a new damage type that just gets assigned a new resist type. And I don't think it's warranted to differentiate between AP/HP/Gauss/Railgun, as they all work under the same "throw mass at the target" principle, whereas the other damage types are actually different mechanism for inflicting damage (through application of energy by light for laser or super localized heat for plasma).
Quote
This sounds really good. Can you please post an example?Quick mock-up of what I will put in StunGunz because I'm just about to finish my bus trip:
Code: [Select]
- type: STR_SNIPER_RIFLE_CLIP
damageAlter:
ArmorEffectiveness: 0.8
ToHealth: 1.74
ToStun: 0.26
- type: STR_NITRO_EXPRESS_CLIP
damageAlter:
ArmorEffectiveness: 1.2
ToHealth: 1.66
ToStun: 0.34
So a sniper rifle ignores some body armor, since it's a strictly military weapon I assume it's intended to do so. Once past resist/armor, the damage is partitioned into 13% stun and 87% heath (~15% ratio). By opposition, the Nitro sucks at taking out armored people (bulletproof vests are great at stopping hollow point is my understanding) and causes messier wounds so does 17% stun to 83% health (~20% ratio). Ratios can be tweaked, of course.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 25, 2016, 02:29:49 pm
I think the M-16, or whatever the vanilla rifle is, would be fine to unlock with Promotion II. It's oddly hard to unlock it through normal means.
The biggest problem here is this:
> Player finds an M16
> "Oh wow, such dakka, much firepower, very wow"
> researches his only M16 to buy ammo for it
> Gains nothing
> "I hate this game, must be a bug"
> trudges on throught many missions where that single M16 would be damn useful but he had to take it apart
> researches EXALT Operations and Contact Arms Dealers
> "You can now buy M16!"
> rage quit
:P
I'm pretty sure stun/incendiary/HE damage types are special snowflake damage types that get special treatment in the code to do something. My understanding is that what Meridian was/is offering you is a new damage type that just gets assigned a new resist type. And I don't think it's warranted to differentiate between AP/HP/Gauss/Railgun, as they all work under the same "throw mass at the target" principle, whereas the other damage types are actually different mechanism for inflicting damage (through application of energy by light for laser or super localized heat for plasma).
Yeah, well, I was hoping Meridian would maybe play with this, too. :)
But more damage types would be useful anyway.
Quick mock-up of what I will put in StunGunz because I'm just about to finish my bus trip:Code: [Select]- type: STR_SNIPER_RIFLE_CLIP
damageAlter:
ArmorEffectiveness: 0.8
ToHealth: 1.74
ToStun: 0.26
- type: STR_NITRO_EXPRESS_CLIP
damageAlter:
ArmorEffectiveness: 1.2
ToHealth: 1.66
ToStun: 0.34
So a sniper rifle ignores some body armor, since it's a strictly military weapon I assume it's intended to do so. Once past resist/armor, the damage is partitioned into 13% stun and 87% heath (~15% ratio). By opposition, the Nitro sucks at taking out armored people (bulletproof vests are great at stopping hollow point is my understanding) and causes messier wounds so does 17% stun to 83% health (~20% ratio). Ratios can be tweaked, of course.
Looks interesting. I lack the knowledge to assess it properly, so I need to study a bit. ;)
Post by: Arthanor on September 25, 2016, 02:38:26 pm
The biggest problem here is this:Isn't there a new flag that allows you to define if an item is consumed for research or not? Modern gun research should simply not destroy that gun if possible. Also, what I was suggesting is for Promotion II to give the M16 research project free, like it does for LMGs, to offer XCOM a "proper" way of acquire its guns. That there could be an alternative path through arms dealer is perfectly fine and shouldn't break anything as the M16 doesn't have a story article (I think? Still haven't gotten it..)
> Player finds an M16
> "Oh wow, such dakka, much firepower, very wow"
> researches his only M16 to buy ammo for it
> Gains nothing
> "I hate this game, must be a bug"
> trudges on throught many missions where that single M16 would be damn useful but he had to take it apart
> researches EXALT Operations and Contact Arms Dealers
> "You can now buy M16!"
> rage quit
:P
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 25, 2016, 03:06:24 pm
Isn't there a new flag that allows you to define if an item is consumed for research or not? Modern gun research should simply not destroy that gun if possible.
You mean it should be possible for all firearms? Maybe so. It'll be confusing for the player... But maybe it's the best way to go.
Also, what I was suggesting is for Promotion II to give the M16 research project free, like it does for LMGs, to offer XCOM a "proper" way of acquire its guns. That there could be an alternative path through arms dealer is perfectly fine and shouldn't break anything as the M16 doesn't have a story article (I think? Still haven't gotten it..)
The point is, I haven't found the perfect way to do it... It would require exclusive research to be done right.
Post by: ivandogovich on September 26, 2016, 12:57:49 am
Video Tutorial: Install X-Com Files
https://youtu.be/L1WUpX9n7gY?t=43m40s
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 26, 2016, 12:19:19 pm
Speaking of,
v. 0.3.2:
- Some changes to the Deep One Village.
- New floorob for Alien Communicator.
- Fixed a random crash with Cult Apprehension missions.
- Another fix for SOLFOREST14 map.
- Fixed wrong damage value on SMG Alloy Clips.
- Many fixes to Ufopaedia (some critical).
- More screams!
v. 0.3.3:
- Improved SMGs a bit.
- Fixed missing files.
Post by: Nord on September 27, 2016, 02:05:43 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 30, 2016, 06:48:17 pm
Here is a savegame. Cult missions still appear after "Eliminate Black Lotus" and "Eliminate Exalt". Currently now there is 2 missions with black lotus on map. And no, this isnt same month when eliination was researched.
OK, I'll have a look. I might be clueless after all.
EDIT: Yeah, I haven't disabled these missions properly. I'm a horrible modder. Hotfix attached - put it in the rulesets and overwrite.
In other news, I've decided to increase accuracy of all pistols. With their limited range and increased field of vision, they needed a boost.
I'm also in the process of streamlining weapon research to please Arthanor. :P
Post by: Arthanor on September 30, 2016, 07:03:28 pm
Speaking of LMGs, I love that they have snap shots, but it feels like they have really crappy accuracy overall (even on agents with 90+ accuracy). My agents are using them for melee range autoshots more than anything! I'm not sure what's best:
- increasing shot count, which buffs the weapon at range (1/3 of 9 bullets is better than 1/3 of 5), but depends for close range (once you kill your target, it doesn't matter if you could have killed it twice over but it does allow you to kill stronger enemies). I feel like maybe increasing bullets, increasing TUs by a smaller amount might work. It helps kill stuff tough stuff close up, medium stuff from farther but still isn't better than pistols which are very economical when killing softer targets (like masses of scorpions/spiders/chupacabras), or shotguns which really shine at close range (and the new spread independent of accuracy makes worse at medium range for high accuracy soldiers).
- increasing accuracy which buffs at range but also not at close range (since you can't really miss from one tile).
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 30, 2016, 07:17:16 pm
Woot! Also, I remember reading about others thinking it was surprisingly difficult to get an M16 or AK47. I can't be the only one thinking it's funky that I have to loot those from my enemies but I can fly VTOL aircrafts and deploy what are essentially soldiers (if not commandos, my guys have crazy stats) with LMGs and sniper rifles ;P
I'll keep that in mind, but I need more proof that it's hard to get. :P
Speaking of LMGs, I love that they have snap shots, but it feels like they have really crappy accuracy overall (even on agents with 90+ accuracy). My agents are using them for melee range autoshots more than anything! I'm not sure what's best:
- increasing shot count, which buffs the weapon at range (1/3 of 9 bullets is better than 1/3 of 5), but depends for close range (once you kill your target, it doesn't matter if you could have killed it twice over but it does allow you to kill stronger enemies). I feel like maybe increasing bullets, increasing TUs by a smaller amount might work. It helps kill stuff tough stuff close up, medium stuff from farther but still isn't better than pistols which are very economical when killing softer targets (like masses of scorpions/spiders/chupacabras), or shotguns which really shine at close range (and the new spread independent of accuracy makes worse at medium range for high accuracy soldiers).
- increasing accuracy which buffs at range but also not at close range (since you can't really miss from one tile).
The problem is that the LMG is actually a tiered weapon, yours being the worst; so increasing its stats would force me to upgrade the better ones even further... But is it really so bad? I think it has decent long range accuracy. Maybe it needs an improvement here, too?
Post by: Arthanor on September 30, 2016, 07:46:56 pm
@LMG: Long range accuracy? My LMG has an autoshot and snap shot only. I've never used it for long range. I try to use it only from 0-1 tiles (1 being when the enemy is melee oriented and facing me and I don't want to get melee reacted to after stepping in or shooting). My agents use their Lugers at longer ranges or call in sniper support :P
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 30, 2016, 08:59:45 pm
@Rifles: Well, we're treading old grounds here. I'll just say that the path to LMG/Sniper Rifles and Body Armor is obvious: You get promoted, people are happy with you so they give you better stuff. That you need to pursue shady dealers to get M16s is much less obvious (to me at least). Once you know the tech tree, it might well be that it's easier (fewer research-days) to get M16s than the rest. And no, I am not advocating making the shadily obtained M16 project a pre-requisite to obtaining hardware from proper sources :P
Ah, I get it now. Then it should be fine: in the overhaul I did today, the M16 can be researched normally when found, you just can't buy them yet. But you get the info how to enable buying.
@LMG: Long range accuracy? My LMG has an autoshot and snap shot only.
Well, it has autoRange: 25. I personally think it's significant.
Post by: Arthanor on September 30, 2016, 09:04:01 pm
@LMG: Interesting. It didn't occur to me to check and I missed enough from a few tiles, so I used snapshots at range if I didn't have a pistol. Might be fine afterall!
Post by: Solarius Scorch on September 30, 2016, 09:40:18 pm
Also, attached a small tribute to Meridian. :)
(https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4595.0;attach=24184;image)
Post by: Meridian on September 30, 2016, 09:57:49 pm
Also, attached a small tribute to Meridian. :)
Oh, this is gonna look so sweet with a custom palette!
Definitely keep the original pictures, we'll convert them later.
Post by: Nord on September 30, 2016, 11:11:32 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 01, 2016, 01:08:57 pm
Thanks for hotfix. Small question: can you change unit maximal possible stats in-game? E.g. after some research?
Nope, sadly no. But I think you can turn a soldier into another soldier type. I think it'd mean new random stats, new name etc.
Post by: Nord on October 01, 2016, 09:25:09 pm
Nope, sadly no. But I think you can turn a soldier into another soldier type. I think it'd mean new random stats, new name etc.Like ... Augmentation... Can be a wonderful idea.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 03, 2016, 12:17:26 pm
https://www.mediafire.com/file/1ak1keh6i1o9ud2/OpenXcom_XFiles_0.3.4.zip
- Added Desert Eagle (by Dioxine).
- Added Steyr AUG (by Dioxine).
- Added FN FAL (author unknown).
- Added Blackops Auto-Shotgun (same sprite as the old Shotgun, new Shotgun sprite by Dioxine).
- Fixed some ruleset issues (thanks Stoddard).
- M16 Clip has more rounds.
- Jumpsuit now has camouflage and changes colours according to environment.
- Avenger now burns more fuel.
- Ironfist now burns Zrbite.
- Streamlined weapon research.
- Many bugs fixed.
Post by: Arthanor on October 03, 2016, 09:45:19 pm
I ended up getting blackops weapons before the M16, so now I've got a rifle and I'm happy :P Not my team is: 1 doggy on point, 2 blackops assault rifle high reaction scouts, 1 blackops rifle support for the center, 2 LMG highest accuracy (100+, it makes autofire much more reliable) guys on flanks, 2 agents with ~80 as snipers in the back (The damage loss is a negligible 4 points, and they all hit 100% of the time, or so the engine says....).
The team works really well! Managed to clear my first base, an EXALT one, without losing anyone but the dog (lots of injuries though). I'm still not sure how to approach Black Lotus bases though, I expect more than one assassin and so far they still average ~2 kills before I can kill them, often with one more heavily wounded. So I'm not researching the Black Lotus operations :P Hopefully I can unlock bigger transports or better personal armor before I have to deal with them!
Still very interesting experience, always tense and stressful without being outright punishing. Great work!
Post by: Nord on October 03, 2016, 10:19:04 pm
I'm still not sure how to approach Black Lotus bases though, I expect more than one assassin and so far they still average ~2 kills before I can kill them, often with one more heavily wounded. So I'm not researching the Black Lotus operations :P
Sensor grenades will save you. Plenty of them.
Post by: Arthanor on October 03, 2016, 11:13:22 pm
Now I'll set up a sniping position, blanket the area in between with mines and try to snipe anyone before they get there to keep the mines for the assassins. Might work! Much better than "deal with him when you've discovered he's there because you're already one agent down"!
EDIT: I think since the move of leather coats to the personal protection topic, and adding them as a bought armor, they've been sitting at the bottom of the purchase and sell list, in all caps. Looks like something went a bit wrong in the migration.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 04, 2016, 02:45:10 am
EDIT: I think since the move of leather coats to the personal protection topic, and adding them as a bought armor, they've been sitting at the bottom of the purchase and sell list, in all caps. Looks like something went a bit wrong in the migration.
Umm, sort of, yeah. Easy to fix though.
Post by: Wolfstarr on October 04, 2016, 03:11:58 am
Maybe they could run into this guy lol
Post by: yrizoud on October 04, 2016, 04:28:34 am
Still available to buy from start: Blackops Assault cannon AA clip
Some remaining labels from X-Piratez :
- VOO and DOO from the post-mission experience screen
- LOOT button
Some weird colored rectangles in menus - I suppose these are caused by the recent experiments with palette :
- Research/ New : left of the title NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS
- Battlescape equipment : Left of the 'scroll items' button
- Battlescape equipment : The entire background of clip box (dark blue)
- Ufopedia lists : Left of label SELECT ITEM
Image of "Melee weapons" Ufopedia has a palette problem (black is pink)
Zombie (live) text is too long, gets cut at "we'll keep"
The "motel" map is nice and logical, but I find it too long (full of tiny rooms). Despite having a team of 4, I took something like 20 turns to find the 2 suspects.
Small maps are very nice in general, especially when you see enemies jump from upper floors to rush your agents.
I still find shotguns very underwhelming. Uzi seems much more accurate/reliable within ~10 tiles (Or I've been very lucky with it), and I've had shotguns miss at 2 tile distance, 3 times so far.
20000$ per corpse may need to be tweaked depending on the individual's strength. (15k per zombie, 50k+ for the big guys)
Post by: Arthanor on October 04, 2016, 06:24:53 am
Two new issues:
- Exalt HQ has no text for it :/
- There still are zombies in alien life forms missions as well as zombie infestations. Which may or may not be intentional.
Post by: Nord on October 04, 2016, 08:34:29 am
- There still are zombies in alien life forms missions as well as zombie infestations. Which may or may not be intentional.I think it's a feature. Zombie infestation mission is more like a terror, with civilians wandering in their hands.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 04, 2016, 09:53:12 am
Awesome :)
Maybe they could run into this guy lol
Well, if there is a spritesheet... :)
Some bug/playstart reports, from a fresh start :
Still available to buy from start: Blackops Assault cannon AA clip
DARN!
Umm, sorry. Fixed.
Some remaining labels from X-Piratez :
- VOO and DOO from the post-mission experience screen
- LOOT button
I can't find VOO and DOO in the strings at all... Isn't it hardcoded or something?
LOOT can be changed, but I thought it was acceptable. :P
Some weird colored rectangles in menus - I suppose these are caused by the recent experiments with palette :
- Research/ New : left of the title NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS
- Battlescape equipment : Left of the 'scroll items' button
- Battlescape equipment : The entire background of clip box (dark blue)
- Ufopedia lists : Left of label SELECT ITEM
I'm not seeing anything wrong on my end. I'll recheck the archive to make sure all the files are there.
Image of "Melee weapons" Ufopedia has a palette problem (black is pink)
Again, looks fine to me. I re-converted the palette, just in case.
Zombie (live) text is too long, gets cut at "we'll keep"
Thanks, fixed.
The "motel" map is nice and logical, but I find it too long (full of tiny rooms). Despite having a team of 4, I took something like 20 turns to find the 2 suspects.
Small maps are very nice in general, especially when you see enemies jump from upper floors to rush your agents.
OK, I'll rethink them.
I still find shotguns very underwhelming. Uzi seems much more accurate/reliable within ~10 tiles (Or I've been very lucky with it), and I've had shotguns miss at 2 tile distance, 3 times so far.
I'm glad to have it in writing, since everyone is saying how great shotguns are and how Uzi is completely useless. :P
20000$ per corpse may need to be tweaked depending on the individual's strength. (15k per zombie, 50k+ for the big guys)
It's already differentiated, but perhaps not very well.
- Exalt HQ has no text for it :/
...right. :P
I think it's a feature. Zombie infestation mission is more like a terror, with civilians wandering in their hands.
Yes, something like that. There will also be special missions with some other monsters, like a spider colony.
Post by: Meridian on October 04, 2016, 10:03:22 am
I can't find VOO and DOO in the strings at all... Isn't it hardcoded or something?
It's not hardcoded, just doesn't have the usual STR_ prefix.
Code: [Select]
extraStrings:
- type: en-US
strings:
VOO: "PST"
DOO: "PSK"
Some weird colored rectangles in menus - I suppose these are caused by the recent experiments with palette :
- Research/ New : left of the title NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS
- Battlescape equipment : Left of the 'scroll items' button
- Battlescape equipment : The entire background of clip box (dark blue)
- Ufopedia lists : Left of label SELECT ITEM
Image of "Melee weapons" Ufopedia has a palette problem (black is pink)
Maybe add some screenshots?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 04, 2016, 11:35:13 am
Post by: yrizoud on October 04, 2016, 11:48:58 am
I'm glad to have it in writing, since everyone is saying how great shotguns are and how Uzi is completely useless. :PWell, I had zombies generally survive one or two point-blank (pump action) shots. After that I kept to pistols - a turn shooting a colt 45 or glock seems to deal much more damage, and at a safer range.
Since Uzis, I had mostly spider/chupacabra missions, and auto shots at 15% effective precisions were very successful (maybe lucky). And since I can pair it off with a long-range pistol...
It's already differentiated, but perhaps not very well.Oh, good, then. I thought about it because I had a very tight money spot (Started a month with a new HQ and $5000 in the bank), a zombie mission really got me out of the water. This is much different from cult suspects where I grab two sticks and a pistol :)
Color issues : Strange that only I see it. I play in windowed mode, and had the same visual artifacts in previous build also. I'll grab screenshots this evening. The palette shift IS voluntary, right ? Color ranges are no longer linear, there is a distinct change of hue when things get darker.
Post by: Arthanor on October 04, 2016, 03:48:15 pm
In the early game, a combination of Luger for long range and small shotguns for short-range worked really well for me. But I'm playing on veteran "only" as it's been a while since I last played normal XCom. A few points of armor from changing difficulty levels can make a world of difference for shotguns, easily taking over the average damage and taking them from useful to useless.
Regarding colors, supsuper just made a comment regarding filters and windowed mode causing issues. You might want to look into that too. I'm pretty sure the palette is supposed to be the vanilla one.
Post by: yrizoud on October 04, 2016, 08:35:56 pm
Welcome to colorblind mode :)
Edit : just checked with a "clean" install, I can see the inventory bars even in vanilla; so it seems unrelated to X-Com files. I'll come back to Meridian's OXCE+ thread when I can pinpoint a specific version.
Post by: Meridian on October 05, 2016, 12:01:36 am
Those rectangles are a feature... quick search. try clicking in them, type something in and the game will filter the content on the screen by what you typed.
You can also turn them off (there is an option)... and just toggle them when needed by a hotkey (Q).
I just turned them on by default, so that people notice them in the first place.
Post by: yrizoud on October 05, 2016, 12:40:54 am
For the rest, I just realized I copied the UFO files from an old OpenXcom directory. And apparently I shot myself in the foot 15 months ago by starting an experiment of hex-edited PALETTES.DAT.
Ba dum, tsss.
(edit: File closed! Ruled out as a self-mutilation)
--- posts merged - Solarius Scorch ---
On a completely unrelated note, I had tested providing a partial "options.cfg", it works : these options are accepted, all others are auto-detected.
The only problem is for people who upgrade, if they blindly overwrite everything they'll lose custom settings.
Here are some suggestions, as a valid options.cfg :
Code: [Select]
options:
# Because auto-detect language doesn't pick modified en-US strings
language: en-US
# Designed for
battleUFOExtenderAccuracy: true
# Required for data slates or something, IIRC
spendResearchedItems: true
# Should probably be used, more interesting
storageLimitsEnforced: true
# Should probably be used, Gym is there from start
anytimePsiTraining: true
# Saves time, has no downsides now, this should be default in all games/mods
battleAutoEnd: true
# Until somebody provides an alternative intro :)
playIntro: false
# I find this very helpful for manual equipping
showMoreStatsInInventoryView: true
# Personal preference
forceFire: true
# Personal preference
strafe: true
mods:
- id: xcom1
active: true
- active: true
id: x-com-files
Post by: Nord on October 05, 2016, 08:26:16 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 05, 2016, 12:27:15 pm
Small bugreport: Red Dawn HQ have wrong xcom unit placement data. My soldiers start not in a vessel, but in top left corner of map.
Can you post a save please? It's working as normal for me.
In other news: I had to change the weapon system again, because it turns out that lookup doesn't work like I hoped it would - apparently it doesn't work for techs with cost 0. So now in certain cases you can research buying a weapon, then buy it and when it appears in your base, research its properties. I'm not happy with it, but nothing I can do about it. I should publish it soon.
Post by: Nord on October 05, 2016, 06:52:40 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 05, 2016, 08:05:03 pm
Also, disable the Aliens pick up weapons mod, it's redundant with XCF.
Post by: Nord on October 05, 2016, 09:10:42 pm
Post by: Arthanor on October 05, 2016, 09:15:38 pm
Solarius, did you try using unlock instead of lookup?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 06, 2016, 04:05:27 pm
Oops... I rewrite it a minute ago. But... i can flee and wait for next case. So here it is.
Thanks. Yeah, the same happens for me, but... When I try a Quick Battle, it's working normally! I mean, what the actual fuck?!
EDIT: Apparently it works, but only with crafts with specially defined deployment. Dragonfly is not one of them. It turns out that Hobbes left some X-Com spawn points in the base for some reason... I guess I'll have to remove them from the tileset. Will be done.
Solarius, did you try using unlock instead of lookup?
I think it'll be alright after all. :) More tests needed!
EDIT:
Version 0.3.5 has been released: https://www.mediafire.com/file/0pvhleazc902bd1/OpenXcom_XFiles_0.3.5.zip
- Blocked the backpack for some armours.
- Fixed weapon acquisition.
- Fixed some minor Ufopaedia bugs.
- Luger is now researchable.
- Improved Night Vision mode look.
- Fixed a problem with Siberia map spawns.
- 8 new faces!
Hopefully this takes care of the weapon research/purchase issue. Otherwise it's mostly a polishing thing, although I did add 8 new faces (and made some improvements to the older ones).
Hopefully from now on I can make some real progress, like advancing the arcs.
And here's an overview of some faces and armours:
(https://i.imgur.com/j3XQ2B8.gif)
Post by: Nord on October 06, 2016, 07:26:49 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 06, 2016, 10:08:29 pm
Sorry for offtopic, but where i can read about camouflage principe? (like integrated in Jumpsuits)
The basics are in the Ufopaedia, available from the start:
Quote
Camouflage, or Camo, is a property of armour that makes the wearer visible from a shorter distance than normal. This difference is expressed in tiles and denoted in the armor description.
So if a normal vision range is 40, then someone with Camo 10 is visible from range 30 or less.
Post by: yrizoud on October 06, 2016, 11:55:26 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 07, 2016, 02:37:06 am
By the way, a quick fix attached. Jumpsuits are bugged...
Post by: Nord on October 07, 2016, 01:10:22 pm
So if a normal vision range is 40, then someone with Camo 10 is visible from range 30 or less.Thanks. And with "no-more-glowing-xcom-soldiers", are enemies see in dark? Or they just like player units?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 07, 2016, 02:18:59 pm
Thanks. And with "no-more-glowing-xcom-soldiers", are enemies see in dark? Or they just like player units?
Which enemies? Aliens still have their NV 20 (mostly), unaided humans have 9.
Post by: Arthanor on October 08, 2016, 12:07:22 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 08, 2016, 01:11:44 pm
Just got the latest mod and the jumpsuit fix. That green jumpsuit sure is green.. I don't know if it would be possible to integrate them, but there's some awesome armor colors in this mod (https://www.openxcom.com/mod/combat-uniform-armors) that could be used for the recolors as they have impressive camo patterns.
Yeah, they are impressive... I'll see what can be done.
By the way Arthanor, how's your experiments with damageAlter? Any progress?
Post by: Arthanor on October 08, 2016, 05:22:20 pm
Armor piercing, stun damage and ~12hrs working in front of a computer or commuting and staring at my phone per day did me in. I'll get back to it next week.
Also played too much ;P but now that I have an exalt HQ staring at me that I don't know how to approach, I might spend a bit more time modding.
PS. You need to update the title. It still says 3.4!
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 10, 2016, 03:19:52 pm
(And I always miss at least one place when it comes to version number.)
I redid the green armours, now they're properly camo-ed. The desert ones are still as they were though, since the other version is kinda broken (and there are no boobs visible :P).
EDIT:
I have decided to share some views on the future of this mod. And maybe hear your thoughts?
My next stage will be the Syndicate. Sort of MiB-lite, they are the evil megacorporation of this setting. Equipped with BlackOps products, they are not overly dangerous, but most/all missions against them will be undercover (which means: no armour, pistols only). It will take time, because I need to make all their terrain, though maybe I'll start with something smaller - like smaller branches that spawn in cities. (It would look more natural if we could turn off their hostility towards civilians, wink wink.)
Then I plan to make something like Red Dawn 2.0. I feel that Red Dawn as a concept has more potential than just being one of the initial four, so I'd like to make a stronger faction that appears later, as the Man Behind The Man. I don't really have many ideas how it should look yet, but this decision is tied to another one: I don't like the monopoly of BlackOps Industries on the arms market, so I want to give them competition, more Russian/Chinese-themed. This new manufacturer, named M.A.G.M.A. (a shout out to Alien Shooter 2), will produce weapons like Light Cannon, Heavy Cannon and Auto-Cannon (which currently are made by X-Com), a heavy shotgun, maybe something more. I'll probably start with M.A.G.M.A. and think of the organization later, but ideas are welcome.
Another branch is the "Underdark", which is already sort of started with the cave lairs. The next step will be increasing the range of creatures (I plan to add Robin's Multiworm at the very least) and maybe fleshing it out a bit, but the most important thing will come later, when I start adding underworld civilizations. This will be the third source of trouble, after the outer space and the sea, and I'm very excited about it, but it'll take time. (Also, that's where Gauss weapons will come from.)
Then there's the Cyberweb, which I need to tie up at some point. Then I want to use more of Robin's stuff and do something like Half-Life, with Apocalypse aliens pouring out from portals. This will be directly connected to the Cyberweb, who are basically responsible for the entire affair. I don't know how far I'll get, but I would like missions in the alien dimension, ideally culminating with blowing up a Cyberweb battleship (the one from Piratez).
Then there are the Doom sprites, which should make an appearance, no? So, some sort of Cult of Apocalypse will make an appearance. Hard to say more at this point, but expect red robes and two-level missions (secure the cult base, then get to the dungeon to close the portal). Maybe a two-way trip to hell if someone makes the terrain. :P
Then there are also minor missions, like a village infested with Chryssalids, a mine infested with Cybermites, the (now abandoned) Red Dawn base infested with giant spiders, and so on.
Post by: yrizoud on October 10, 2016, 07:46:09 pm
You may want to avoid the name Underdark, because of very specific AD&D meaning. What about hollow earth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow_Earth) ? Even just this Wikipedia articles gives a lot of material.
In general, I'm not sure how you will handle the "rythm" of the game as you add more things. I mean, UFO goes from first downed UFO to final retaliation, in straight line. In XCOMFiles you have a lovecraftian cult trying to bring back an elder god, and in parallel you have giant arthropods appearing, and in parallel you have zombie outbreak. When the first alien will appear, the player will want to tell him "OK sorry but we are a bit busy at the moment, can you come back and invade us later?"
Post by: Arthanor on October 10, 2016, 08:05:26 pm
First order comment: when do aliens show up?
In my game (which hasn't progressed at all this weekend) I assumed I had to deal with the cults before January 1999 as the aliens would show up then to follow the established time-line. If you put more human and monstrous factions, do you push back the start of the game to earlier? Or have the aliens wait until later?
I feel like once the "real" aliens (section, floater) start to show up, they would totally steal the thunder of other things (who cares about cults when the real deal is flying around?).
Or maybe have the new factions you describe as late 1998/early 1999 main enemies with a few occasional scout ufos? That would make a smooth transition from cults to aliens and have aliens be real highlights (if you can somehow down an ufo or catch a landed one).
I also think having "post-landing site" would be a great companion to the first ufo encounters. Something where you have to deal with weird viruses (or virus infected animals/people), crazy militias that showed up or just panicked citizens (have to stun the all?) to really play up the "aliens are messing up everything" effect.
Factions:
Syndicate: sounds interesting but also potentially frustrating. Armored enemies when you have low power weapons means you're more likely to get streaks of no damage which are really frustrating. If you're taking on enemies who have automatic weapons, why would you go in unarmored and barely armed? Especially since after the first enemy, you'd be silly not to grab their gun and use an automatic weapon any ways.
Also, blackops not dangerous when you don't have armor? A wound is a setback and a casualty is significant, especially on teams of ~8.
Red Dawn/Magma:
Having them as the muscle of some other organization which is intent on using alien tech to create their own state, and also push towards hi-tech, hi-power and heavy weapons (their grunts are strong, so heavy is no issue. Kind of like the gals in Piratez) would work for suppliers of cannons. Maybe the aim is to establish just good enough relationship with them that they sell weapons and interfere with the aliens/other cults instead of stirring up more problems.
Underdark:
Sounds interesting but TftD already has primordial terran lifeforms doesn't it? Maybe the tftd ones were enslaved whereas the underground ones are still free?
Also I'm a stickler for the original vanilla and gauss and sonic being innovations tied to the sea arc, maybe with the twist that the gauss weapons shoot darts so that it makes more sense as an underwater weapon.
Maybe the underground faction could be heat resistant and use heat weapons (specially designed to kill heat sensitive surface and sea creatures, especially sea creatures are generally not used to temperature variations). And to keep with the two tiers per environment, explosives would make sense for a civilization that would be based on digging.
Doom, half-life and Apocalypse sound like something that could be connected. They're all about other dimensions on a way. Maybe a play on the Devils and Demons division? Two different ways to unlock travel to other dimensions and maybe even a side "accident" effect that open up attacks from the other dimension after you experiment on the first.
Post by: Meridian on October 10, 2016, 08:10:39 pm
Don't put everything into one giant mod...
Post by: yrizoud on October 10, 2016, 09:40:09 pm
Quote
I feel like once the "real" aliens (section, floater) start to show up, they would totally steal the thunder of other thingsActually these early threats can be the means by which XCOM earns the technology which lets them defend against the alien. If you complete the nazi moon base arc you end up with hydra lasers and early spaceships, if you defeat the corporation which created zombies you get high-tech poison weapons, etc.
These would be alternative paths which you try to advance, at least one is required, and hopefully they give balanced rewards so any one is sufficient, though several give a more well-rounded technology.
Post by: Arthanor on October 10, 2016, 10:23:29 pm
I thought this was pretty much the point of the various cults already :P I haven't gone through any of the arcs yet, but it looks like each specialize in something or other in such a way that giving different, each equally valuable, goodies would make sense. So far EXALT and the Black Lotus both gave me something "alien" that look interesting.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 11, 2016, 01:56:33 am
As much as I love Doom, I have to say the ripped sprites in OpenXcom engine look awful.
Sort of, yeah. :P
You may want to avoid the name Underdark, because of very specific AD&D meaning. What about hollow earth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow_Earth) ? Even just this Wikipedia articles gives a lot of material.
Yeah, I didn't seriously mean Underdark, it was just an example.
In general, I'm not sure how you will handle the "rythm" of the game as you add more things. I mean, UFO goes from first downed UFO to final retaliation, in straight line. In XCOMFiles you have a lovecraftian cult trying to bring back an elder god, and in parallel you have giant arthropods appearing, and in parallel you have zombie outbreak. When the first alien will appear, the player will want to tell him "OK sorry but we are a bit busy at the moment, can you come back and invade us later?"
Sort of ninja'd but going in the same direction:
First order comment: when do aliens show up?
In my game (which hasn't progressed at all this weekend) I assumed I had to deal with the cults before January 1999 as the aliens would show up then to follow the established time-line. If you put more human and monstrous factions, do you push back the start of the game to earlier? Or have the aliens wait until later?
I feel like once the "real" aliens (section, floater) start to show up, they would totally steal the thunder of other things (who cares about cults when the real deal is flying around?).
Or maybe have the new factions you describe as late 1998/early 1999 main enemies with a few occasional scout ufos? That would make a smooth transition from cults to aliens and have aliens be real highlights (if you can somehow down an ufo or catch a landed one).
I'd say I see my mod like a TV series from the 90's (doh) - while the most important enemy are, say, Goa'uld, most episodes are actually about other stuff. The aliens from Mars are supposedly the most important, but there are also other villains to fight. So sometimes it's Klingons, sometimes Romulans, sometimes it's Ferengi, or sometimes it's just a weird space monster. That's what I'm going at.
Does it mean there'll be less UFOs? Yes, probably. But it's too untested to be sure yet.
I also think having "post-landing site" would be a great companion to the first ufo encounters. Something where you have to deal with weird viruses (or virus infected animals/people), crazy militias that showed up or just panicked citizens (have to stun the all?) to really play up the "aliens are messing up everything" effect.
Yes, good idea, but your rewards should be very limited. Would you have any suggestions on how to do it without an actual UFO wreck? (Because Alien Alloys should be hard to get.)
Factions:
Syndicate: sounds interesting but also potentially frustrating. Armored enemies when you have low power weapons means you're more likely to get streaks of no damage which are really frustrating. If you're taking on enemies who have automatic weapons, why would you go in unarmored and barely armed? Especially since after the first enemy, you'd be silly not to grab their gun and use an automatic weapon any ways.
That's the plan. :P
Also, blackops not dangerous when you don't have armor? A wound is a setback and a casualty is significant, especially on teams of ~8.
I meant they're relatively non-dangerous, when compared to other mid-tier enemies like Cyberweb Nomads. Not easy! :)
Red Dawn/Magma:
Having them as the muscle of some other organization which is intent on using alien tech to create their own state, and also push towards hi-tech, hi-power and heavy weapons (their grunts are strong, so heavy is no issue. Kind of like the gals in Piratez) would work for suppliers of cannons. Maybe the aim is to establish just good enough relationship with them that they sell weapons and interfere with the aliens/other cults instead of stirring up more problems.
Yes, there's a plan to make them "quest givers", where you do stuff for them in exchange for new products. And there's a corporate war going on... :)
Underdark:
Sounds interesting but TftD already has primordial terran lifeforms doesn't it? Maybe the tftd ones were enslaved whereas the underground ones are still free?
Sort of, yes. It's rather unclear though, it's been 65 million years. :)
Also I'm a stickler for the original vanilla and gauss and sonic being innovations tied to the sea arc, maybe with the twist that the gauss weapons shoot darts so that it makes more sense as an underwater weapon.
Making Gauss an underwater weapon was so unimaginably stupid that I'm not even going to try, sorry. I normally would, since I appreciate canonicity, but not here... :P
Maybe the underground faction could be heat resistant and use heat weapons (specially designed to kill heat sensitive surface and sea creatures, especially sea creatures are generally not used to temperature variations). And to keep with the two tiers per environment, explosives would make sense for a civilization that would be based on digging.
Spot on! You get XP :)
Doom, half-life and Apocalypse sound like something that could be connected. They're all about other dimensions on a way. Maybe a play on the Devils and Demons division? Two different ways to unlock travel to other dimensions and maybe even a side "accident" effect that open up attacks from the other dimension after you experiment on the first.[/quote]
Can you please elaborate? Like, the X-Com Apocalypse Aliens are devils, and the Doom demons are demons?
Divide and Conquer.
Don't put everything into one giant mod...
Meh. :P
...but as a serious response, this wouldn't make sense, because the entire point of this mod is to be all that. I wouldn't be interested in these as separate mods, because they would be all too shallow and monotonous. The X-Com Files mod has been conceived and planned for exactly this kind of narration, it's not an accidental result. So I know perfectly well what I'm trying to achieve in general and I believe it'll work.
Actually these early threats can be the means by which XCOM earns the technology which lets them defend against the alien. If you complete the nazi moon base arc you end up with hydra lasers and early spaceships, if you defeat the corporation which created zombies you get high-tech poison weapons, etc.
These would be alternative paths which you try to advance, at least one is required, and hopefully they give balanced rewards so any one is sufficient, though several give a more well-rounded technology.
I'm not sure how deep it will go, but yes, this is more or less how I see it. It also depends on RNG, because different factions will show up.
P.S. The first original M.A.G.M.A. weapon - Thresher Heavy Shotgun, or Double-Barrelled on Steroids:
(https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4595.0;attach=24343;image)
Post by: Arthanor on October 11, 2016, 02:55:16 am
I'd say I see my mod like a TV series from the 90's (doh) - while the most important enemy are, say, Goa'uld, most episodes are actually about other stuff. The aliens from Mars are supposedly the most important, but there are also other villains to fight. So sometimes it's Klingons, sometimes Romulans, sometimes it's Ferengi, or sometimes it's just a weird space monster. That's what I'm going at.That's fine by me. I very much like the idea of investigating all kind of crazy stuff at once. I also don't find single topic straight-line games as interesting, which is why I really like race/alternate weapons mods and megamods. I was worried that you'd have players fight off the cults and XYZ other factions while also defeating a full blown alien invasion. It's one thing that I think is really hard to get right when building megamods: pacing. You want the variety, but you also want enough time in between fights (or short enough projects) that research progresses between fights so that the player has a sense of progression instead of getting a feeling of being "stalled".
Does it mean there'll be less UFOs? Yes, probably. But it's too untested to be sure yet.
Quote
Yes, good idea, but your rewards should be very limited. Would you have any suggestions on how to do it without an actual UFO wreck? (Because Alien Alloys should be hard to get.)Traces of Elerium from crop circles? (investigate 1, research Elerium trace, unlock "Elerium combination" that yields 1 Elerium from 5-10 traces. As an alternate way to start Elerium research. Maybe use the random containers so that once in a while the aliens forget a piece of equipment behind or something. Or you find an abduction victim and remove their implant so you can research it. Maybe 1 alien alloy from a UFO smashing into something? Instead of a UFO, put a mapblock with a crop circle (elerium trace), a parked car or house for the alien abduction, or a smashed up building/tree for the alien alloy.
Quote
That's the plan. :PAlright :P I hope you get it right because it sounds... tricky. A game should be fun. XCom managed the hardcore enemies by making them manageable to kill even if they killed your guys, with the exception, maybe, of lobstermen although they weren't that bad. Similar with the original Piratez personal armored enemies, which were also manageable with bombs. Unarmored and with pistols against armored and armed enemies is the wrong kind of scary for a game. The right kind for a movie (since plot armor will make it happen).
Quote
I meant they're relatively non-dangerous, when compared to other mid-tier enemies like Cyberweb Nomads. Not easy! :)Alright!
Quote
Yes, there's a plan to make them "quest givers", where you do stuff for them in exchange for new products. And there's a corporate war going on... :)Interesting!
Quote
Sort of, yes. It's rather unclear though, it's been 65 million years. :)Looking forward to researching it :P
Quote
Making Gauss an underwater weapon was so unimaginably stupid that I'm not even going to try, sorry. I normally would, since I appreciate canonicity, but not here... :PWell, fair enough. ;) I was going to say "maybe keep the sprites?" but that'd probably be confusing.
Quote
Spot on! You get XP :)Woot!
Quote
Can you please elaborate? Like, the X-Com Apocalypse Aliens are devils, and the Doom demons are demons?Yes, I'm not sure which would be which, since the Apocalypse ones seem more organic and less organized, whereas in Doom I think the forces of Hell are somewhat organized, so it might be that Apocalypse ones are the "chaotic evil" demons and the Doom ones would be devils? Lining up the names is not necessary though, Doom and Apocalypse are both great names too for other dimensions: The Kingdom of Doom and the Realm of the Apocalypse? And the main ideas are to play them off each other to emphasize how different these takes on "other dimension" are and to have the two arcs cross since they are both are about extra-dimensional beings: you could have XCom investigate the satanic cults, find a way to access the Hell dimension, but dial the wrong number and go into the Apocalypse one instead, then they get interested and start coming (could also explain the break in continuity: instead of coming whenever they do in Apocalypse). Or vice versa: Study alien portals, open your own, step in and end up in Doom Hell instead of Apocalypse other dimension. Then so far nonthreatening demon/witch cults benefit from the "break in the wall between dimensions" and actually manage to summon stuff and become a real problem.
Quote
...but as a serious response, this wouldn't make sense, because the entire point of this mod is to be all that. I wouldn't be interested in these as separate mods, because they would be all too shallow and monotonous. The X-Com Files mod has been conceived and planned for exactly this kind of narration, it's not an accidental result. So I know perfectly well what I'm trying to achieve in general and I believe it'll work.Sounds great :D
I'm not sure how deep it will go, but yes, this is more or less how I see it. It also depends on RNG, because different factions will show up.
Quote
P.S. The first original M.A.G.M.A. weapon - Thresher Heavy Shotgun, or Double-Barrelled on Steroids:
(https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4595.0;attach=24343;image)
Does look heavy duty!
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 11, 2016, 11:36:34 am
That's fine by me. I very much like the idea of investigating all kind of crazy stuff at once. I also don't find single topic straight-line games as interesting, which is why I really like race/alternate weapons mods and megamods. I was worried that you'd have players fight off the cults and XYZ other factions while also defeating a full blown alien invasion. It's one thing that I think is really hard to get right when building megamods: pacing. You want the variety, but you also want enough time in between fights (or short enough projects) that research progresses between fights so that the player has a sense of progression instead of getting a feeling of being "stalled".
Well, I don't think it'll be very different, except maybe for toning down the frequency of some missions. I'm not really sure it'll be necessary, since for example terror missions will generally be easier to win, with all the weapons you collect from various sources and your squad maxed out on cultists.
Traces of Elerium from crop circles? (investigate 1, research Elerium trace, unlock "Elerium combination" that yields 1 Elerium from 5-10 traces. As an alternate way to start Elerium research.
You mean a special Farm mapblock? Sure, can be done. And the "elerium trace" would be a recoverable tile, like UFO Navigation? (I can imagine some glowing stains on the ground.)
But what would the player do at such a site? Whom would they battle? Certainly not the farmer who called the police... ;)
Maybe use the random containers so that once in a while the aliens forget a piece of equipment behind or something.
Like an unimplanted alien fetus? I have the resources, and the description by Juku. :P
Yeah, various alien artifacts would be fun. But most of them wouldn't give you anything practical, like Alien Food.
Or you find an abduction victim and remove their implant so you can research it.
Or... an alien fetus! :P
Maybe 1 alien alloy from a UFO smashing into something? Instead of a UFO, put a mapblock with a crop circle (elerium trace), a parked car or house for the alien abduction, or a smashed up building/tree for the alien alloy.
I'm not sure I can spawn multiple "UFOs" per map, but surely something can be done. These are technicalities.
It looks like yet another arc... :)
Alright :P I hope you get it right because it sounds... tricky. A game should be fun. XCom managed the hardcore enemies by making them manageable to kill even if they killed your guys, with the exception, maybe, of lobstermen although they weren't that bad. Similar with the original Piratez personal armored enemies, which were also manageable with bombs. Unarmored and with pistols against armored and armed enemies is the wrong kind of scary for a game. The right kind for a movie (since plot armor will make it happen).
Yeah, well... What can I say? I'll balance it as many times as necessary. :)
Well, fair enough. ;) I was going to say "maybe keep the sprites?" but that'd probably be confusing.[/quote]
The sprites will be the same as in the FMP, which is more or less the original TFTD look.
Yes, I'm not sure which would be which, since the Apocalypse ones seem more organic and less organized, whereas in Doom I think the forces of Hell are somewhat organized, so it might be that Apocalypse ones are the "chaotic evil" demons and the Doom ones would be devils? Lining up the names is not necessary though, Doom and Apocalypse are both great names too for other dimensions: The Kingdom of Doom and the Realm of the Apocalypse? And the main ideas are to play them off each other to emphasize how different these takes on "other dimension" are and to have the two arcs cross since they are both are about extra-dimensional beings: you could have XCom investigate the satanic cults, find a way to access the Hell dimension, but dial the wrong number and go into the Apocalypse one instead, then they get interested and start coming (could also explain the break in continuity: instead of coming whenever they do in Apocalypse). Or vice versa: Study alien portals, open your own, step in and end up in Doom Hell instead of Apocalypse other dimension. Then so far nonthreatening demon/witch cults benefit from the "break in the wall between dimensions" and actually manage to summon stuff and become a real problem.
Sounds great :D
Good stuff! Some of it is actually already planned, and the rest will be sorted out later. (The ones responsible for the portals will be
Cyberweb
though.)EDIT: An example of a crop circle. ;)
(https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4595.0;attach=24344;image)
Post by: Arthanor on October 11, 2016, 04:51:08 pm
Well, I don't think it'll be very different, except maybe for toning down the frequency of some missions. I'm not really sure it'll be necessary, since for example terror missions will generally be easier to win, with all the weapons you collect from various sources and your squad maxed out on cultists.The issue is not really difficulty, but the chore of having to "clean" off a whole bunch of missions with what is essentially a static setup, which becomes boring. It's one reason I gave up on XPiratez. And you can't really not respond since you still need to score points for your month.
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You mean a special Farm mapblock? Sure, can be done. And the "elerium trace" would be a recoverable tile, like UFO Navigation? (I can imagine some glowing stains on the ground.)Yup, instead of a UFO mapblock, it'd be a special crop circle mapblock. Elerium trace could be an item or a tile, glowing stains works for sure. Maybe you need to find and "control" (stun) the farmer so he can be debriefed properly and not spread rumors. Or wipe off his memory MiB style. Or on other instances there's some elerium or virus tainted life-forms you need to capture? The main point is to provide players with a feel that there are UFOs and build up the hype, while also providing little bits of tech and trivia.
But what would the player do at such a site? Whom would they battle? Certainly not the farmer who called the police... ;)
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Like an unimplanted alien fetus? I have the resources, and the description by Juku. :PI meant one of the sectoids forgot his plasma pistol clip, or his mind probe after putting it down to go to the toilet :P A fetus seems a bit extreme of a thing to forget behind!
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Yeah, various alien artifacts would be fun. But most of them wouldn't give you anything practical, like Alien Food.Alien food (from a cattle mutilation site?), some alien iPad, a pistol/clip/mind probe? Little things.
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Or... an alien fetus! :PSure..! You find a poor woman and her alien baby.
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I'm not sure I can spawn multiple "UFOs" per map, but surely something can be done. These are technicalities.Nah, I was listing examples of sites. There would be either a crop circle, a car or a smashed shed, not all of them at once (All together it's a bit much, unless you want a drunk college sectoid road trip where they make graffiti, smash things up and have sex :P)
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It looks like yet another arc... :)
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Good stuff! Some of it is actually already planned, and the rest will be sorted out later. (The ones responsible for the portals will beNice! I'm glad you like the ideas :DCyberwebthough.)
I'm curious to find out how you link the portals. Seems unintuitive to me, but that's good!
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EDIT: An example of a crop circle. ;)Nice work! Very fast :)
I wish I had a Linux mapview. There's all kinds of interesting designs to make:
(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/09/04/13/2BF644D100000578-3222358-image-m-95_1441369285690.jpg)
Post by: Nord on October 11, 2016, 05:23:03 pm
I'd say I see my mod like a TV series from the 90's (doh) - while the most important enemy are, say, Goa'uld, most episodes are actually about other stuff. The aliens from Mars are supposedly the most important, but there are also other villains to fight. So sometimes it's Klingons, sometimes Romulans, sometimes it's Ferengi, or sometimes it's just a weird space monster. That's what I'm going at.
Just try not disperse yourself too much, so you can one day finish this mod. And we will pray to elder undersea gods for you.
Post by: Arthanor on October 11, 2016, 06:52:35 pm
Code: [Select]
STR_TOPIC: "Topic>{ALT} {0}"Edit: Just researched that Brainer. Wall o' text alert! I don't really know how to chop it, but it doesn't even half fit in the space :P In fact, I think there should be a different article to contain all of the following to another article titled something like "EXALT Termination strategy" since it has nothing to do with the Brainer any ways.
"Considering that the rank-and-file members of EXALT are mostly controlled with Psiclone distribution, there is a way to win without a prolonged war: use this EXALT weapon against them. We can now understand how the Psiclone works well enough to develop a counter-wave that will disrupt the functioning of these devices over large swathes of land. Before our enemies adjust their signal, we will flood the market with our cracked Psiclones which will be just as good but functioning and, you know, not forcing you into an alien army in exchange. This should render the EXALT harmless enough for us to no longer care about it. Just give the order, Commander."
Post by: Nord on October 11, 2016, 08:45:19 pm
[11-10-2016 20:15:59] [FATAL] A fatal error has occurred: vector::_M_range_check: __n (which is 301) >= this->size() (which is 296)
[11-10-2016 20:16:00] [FATAL] Crash dump generated at E:\Arch\G\Openxcom\OpenXcom_XFiles\user\11-10-2016_20-15-59.dmp
[11-10-2016 20:16:14] [FATAL] OpenXcom has crashed: vector::_M_range_check: __n (which is 301) >= this->size() (which is 296)
In alien turn.
Post by: Arthanor on October 11, 2016, 09:24:37 pm
I tested removing the "needItem: true" statement of STR_CULT_CONTAINED and it was properly granted when researching the brainer.
Also, given that it takes a month for the EXALT Termination project to come into effect and it can spawn multiple times, I think it would be nice to not have a despawn penalty for the EXALT HQ site so we can safely ignore it.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 11, 2016, 10:56:42 pm
First off: I decided to tackle my EXALT HQ. First strike: My crack team of agents in armored vests and using BlackOps weapons step in essentially weaponless and wearing business attire. Not a success. I discover it's a mansion, with 8 guys and without motion scanner. Holy..! Reload. Setup a different team matrix style: Leather Jacket, dual-wield Luger and BlackOps SMG, grab a few grenades, tonfas and combat knives. Lugers shootings in big hallways, SMGs in small corridors, grenades against the armored dudes, until I find the brainer (really cool looking! Almost more alien than a sectoid!), smack him in the head with a tonfa, rush in with a knife to kill another armored dude. Then fighting retreat to the roof and grabbing a cane on the way. Very intimidating and turned out to be great fun!
Nice!
I think I should give more warnings or something. :P
The issue is not really difficulty, but the chore of having to "clean" off a whole bunch of missions with what is essentially a static setup, which becomes boring. It's one reason I gave up on XPiratez. And you can't really not respond since you still need to score points for your month.
Yeah, I get what you mean. We'll see.
Yup, instead of a UFO mapblock, it'd be a special crop circle mapblock. Elerium trace could be an item or a tile, glowing stains works for sure. Maybe you need to find and "control" (stun) the farmer so he can be debriefed properly and not spread rumors. Or wipe off his memory MiB style. Or on other instances there's some elerium or virus tainted life-forms you need to capture? The main point is to provide players with a feel that there are UFOs and build up the hype, while also providing little bits of tech and trivia.
Wouldn't hunting farmers be interesting? I don't think so, and it would look a little weird. If we really want him that badly, why not just approach him? What are we going to do with him?
Or, hmm... Actually, it could work! Thanks, I'll work on this!
I meant one of the sectoids forgot his plasma pistol clip, or his mind probe after putting it down to go to the toilet :P A fetus seems a bit extreme of a thing to forget behind!
Yeah, but how can I miss such an obvious trope? :)
And I was thinking more like, some alien toilet paper rather than a plasma pistol... :P Well, just trash, anyway. I think it'd be more interesting. But I can't focus too much on this...
Alien food (from a cattle mutilation site?), some alien iPad, a pistol/clip/mind probe? Little things.
Yes, exactly this kind of things.
Sure..! You find a poor woman and her alien baby.
Man, this could be a unique arc. A story arc.
>MIND BLOWN<
Nah, I was listing examples of sites. There would be either a crop circle, a car or a smashed shed, not all of them at once (All together it's a bit much, unless you want a drunk college sectoid road trip where they make graffiti, smash things up and have sex :P)
See, now I need to make this :q
Nice! I'm glad you like the ideas :DNice work! Very fast :)
I'm curious to find out how you link the portals. Seems unintuitive to me, but that's good!
I wish I had a Linux mapview. There's all kinds of interesting designs to make
[/quote]
Isn't the source code available? I'd think it would...
Quick pick: The tech tree viewer doesn't show the topic you're currently looking at because there's a bug in the strings. It should be something like:Code: [Select]STR_TOPIC: "Topic>{ALT} {0}"
Ah thanks, I completely forgot about this feature.
Edit: Just researched that Brainer. Wall o' text alert! I don't really know how to chop it, but it doesn't even half fit in the space :P In fact, I think there should be a different article to contain all of the following to another article titled something like "EXALT Termination strategy" since it has nothing to do with the Brainer any ways.
Thanks... I... That's embarrassing. :) I'll fix it somehow. Maybe make another research for the Brainer as an organism.
Crash report:
[11-10-2016 20:15:59] [FATAL] A fatal error has occurred: vector::_M_range_check: __n (which is 301) >= this->size() (which is 296)
[11-10-2016 20:16:00] [FATAL] Crash dump generated at E:\Arch\G\Openxcom\OpenXcom_XFiles\user\11-10-2016_20-15-59.dmp
[11-10-2016 20:16:14] [FATAL] OpenXcom has crashed: vector::_M_range_check: __n (which is 301) >= this->size() (which is 296)
In alien turn.
OK, I'll check and get back to you later.
There's something funky about STR_CULT_CONTAINED. After interrogating a brainer and getting STR_BRAINER_CRACKED, the cult contained is not granted.
I tested removing the "needItem: true" statement of STR_CULT_CONTAINED and it was properly granted when researching the brainer.
Perhaps because it's a nasty bug, which must be fixed right now. :P
Thanks for catching this, it's a critical one...
And by the way, here's the new Grenade Launcher made by M.A.G.M.A. Weighs 26, plus 8 per 3 rounds... But it has automatic fire!
EDIT: Meridian, if you read this, could you please check Nord's savegame? I can't see anything obvious...
Post by: Arthanor on October 11, 2016, 11:20:07 pm
Yeah, that missing article will come in handy ;) Termination also has no article :(
Re: Farmer capture
Well, maybe you have only a few turns to capture him before he tells the world? So it's a timed mission. It ends in.. 5 turns? kill/stun the farmer, but kill has negative points for the whole thing. Only stun has positive points. So it's a mad rush where you don't have to worry about safety (the farmer only has his birdshot shotgun or a pitchfork/shovel, at most) but you really need to worry about time. I don't know, it'd be a change of pace. Also, maybe once in a while the aliens are still around and if you don't get out in time, they blow you up from their UFO :P (so fail after 5 turns and you lose the strike team). Obviously there should be a different briefing to warn the player if the UFO is there.
Re: Loot
Well, a plasma pistol which you can't use for 4 years because the research to use it is so long is just about as useless as alien toilet paper :P And it highlights the fact that these things are expendable for the aliens.
Re: Mapview:
The source is available, and I managed to run it before, but the problem is in some graphic library which doesn't render transparency in Linux and instead draws transparent pixels black. This means the whole map is pretty much black squares, with only the front graphics showing.
Re: Automatic Grenade Launcher
Very interesting! Constant reload is the normal grenade launcher's main issue. That'll be fun :D
Edit: Attacked a Church of Dagon base (the big paper wall house thing)
They had super cute frog pets but I couldn't bring one home since they're considered aliens :( Doesn't it live happily in a turtle basin? Also ended up being a training run, as I didn't distinguish the sorcerer from the chosen and killed them all. He had a fancy staff, but anyone can have a fancy staff.. I'll be on the lookout next time! Was a fun fight any ways. Love the paper walls, so much fun to shoot LMGs and destroy everything :D
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 12, 2016, 02:05:41 pm
Re: EXALT HQ
Yeah, that missing article will come in handy ;) Termination also has no article :(
The lack of termination article is bugging me too, but I keep forgetting about it. :P
Re: Farmer capture
Well, maybe you have only a few turns to capture him before he tells the world? So it's a timed mission. It ends in.. 5 turns? kill/stun the farmer, but kill has negative points for the whole thing. Only stun has positive points. So it's a mad rush where you don't have to worry about safety (the farmer only has his birdshot shotgun or a pitchfork/shovel, at most) but you really need to worry about time. I don't know, it'd be a change of pace. Also, maybe once in a while the aliens are still around and if you don't get out in time, they blow you up from their UFO :P (so fail after 5 turns and you lose the strike team). Obviously there should be a different briefing to warn the player if the UFO is there.
I did some work on it today, I have the farmer, the mission, some basic researches... It's not exactly complete, but it works. Well, except for the 10 turns limit, perhaps it's not in OXCE+ yet?
Re: Loot
Well, a plasma pistol which you can't use for 4 years because the research to use it is so long is just about as useless as alien toilet paper :P And it highlights the fact that these things are expendable for the aliens.
True, true :) I'll think about it later.
Re: Mapview:
The source is available, and I managed to run it before, but the problem is in some graphic library which doesn't render transparency in Linux and instead draws transparent pixels black. This means the whole map is pretty much black squares, with only the front graphics showing.
I really wish it would be fixed, we need more maps and Linux people are creative.
But I gotta ask, what's the problem with having Windows installed too?
Edit: Attacked a Church of Dagon base
The "dog" requiring Alien Containment is a bug. :/ You can add it to your save...
A Sorcerer is easy to distinguish from a Chosen by its facial tentacles. :) Of course it's not as easy when he's only showing you his back.
Post by: yrizoud on October 12, 2016, 02:41:07 pm
You can emphasize an important human NPC by having him carry a briefcase in hand. Using the same sort of held sprite as the big medikit, it's noticeable from all sides, and it would really fit the spy / secret society theme. However this requires the guy to be efficient with a one-handed weapon.
The item itself may be unimportant (it's only an accessory), if you don't want the player to wonder too much about it, you can make it non-recoverable.
Post by: Arthanor on October 12, 2016, 03:15:09 pm
We get a puppy! The staff will be happy :)
And for the sorcerer, he had a big staff which was sort of a give away too, but I thought it was a chosen with a psi panic weapon, so I killed it before looking (one of my snipers kept panicking and you don't want a berserk sniper behind you). Attacking from the north was a bit unfortunate for that. You see the side or back most of the time. But I like those maps so it'll be fine to go there again. And maybe I'll manage to get promotion 3 before so I can bring heavy weapons :D
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 12, 2016, 03:21:47 pm
This difficulty of recognizing specific opponent is still problematic in general. This reminds me an idea I had :
You can emphasize an important human NPC by having him carry a briefcase in hand. Using the same sort of held sprite as the big medikit, it's noticeable from all sides, and it would really fit the spy / secret society theme. However this requires the guy to be efficient with a one-handed weapon.
The item itself may be unimportant (it's only an accessory), if you don't want the player to wonder too much about it, you can make it non-recoverable.
Yes, it's a good idea, though naturally it can only be used for certain enemies. Oh well, in the vanilla there are no clues whatsoever! :)
And maybe I'll manage to get promotion 3 before so I can bring heavy weapons :D
Good luck, though it won't be easy :)
Post by: Arthanor on October 12, 2016, 04:44:40 pm
I must say: I really like the lead up to 1999 and the anticipation of the alien invasion. Normally, knowing the time-line of a game makes it more predictable and less interesting (oh, snake men in the spring! Big surprise..), but in this case, the "doomsday clock" running down to January 1999 and the "will I be ready for the aliens?" anxiety is really enjoyable. It's making me invest more in HQs (4 now, one in each of my first 4 bases) so I can get a setup that is similar to what XCom normally starts with.
Granted, I have way more cash, way more bases and way more, much better trained men than a normal starting XCom, but trying to get a lab setup (researching it now), proper aircrafts and weapons (still missing cannons and rocket launchers), some radars (researching large ones now) and dealing with cults so they're not in my way when the aliens show up feels right. Something is coming from the depths of space and we, little humans, scramble busily to get ready like ants before winter.
The added pressure changes "I should do XYZ" into "I must do XYZ now if I want to be ready" and makes the game much more motivating. Very nicely done!
Post by: yrizoud on October 12, 2016, 05:34:36 pm
It feels quite frustrating that your soldiers can be looking straight at an enemy, but all you see is his back, and you can't tell them 'If he's wearing glasses, we need him alive'.
Post by: Arthanor on October 12, 2016, 06:27:56 pm
- Kill this guy! His weird chant is making Jones shoot everywhere!
- No sir! It's a mess of writhing tentacles under that hood! I ain't shootin' that one *charges in with a tonfa and gets his brain eaten*
- :o
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 12, 2016, 09:47:38 pm
OK, I'll think of some new colour for either the Chosen or the Sorcerer. Dark blue perhaps.
Post by: Arthanor on October 12, 2016, 10:17:29 pm
In general though, I think it's entirely fine to say: "Well, modern officers don't always behave like space marines ones". Dressing like the grunts to avoid getting sniped is a legitimate counter to "snipe the officers!" which itself is sort of "sniper 101". Especially for aliens who might have a gestalt consciousness and so have absolutely no need to mark rank visually. In cults, if you're the big guy you probably want it to be known though.
Although funnily enough, the higher ranks that dress funky in XCom tend to survive better than those who hide, since they're worth interrogating. But getting interrogated might not be a great experience, or much better than a quick end.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 13, 2016, 02:26:29 am
Post by: Wolfstarr on October 13, 2016, 02:38:48 am
Did you draw that yourself Scorch?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 13, 2016, 03:18:04 am
OMG that is amazing! Xcom is definitely needing more lovecraftian enemies!
Did you draw that yourself Scorch?
Thanks! Yeah, I drew the head, the robe is an automatic recolour from Ethereal.
Post by: Juku121 on October 13, 2016, 09:02:47 pm
I've updated my personal take on the X-Com Files to 0.3.5 and added some new things:
- more UFOPaedia copyediting,
- finished the 'tactical briefing' UFOpaedia entries listing important enemy stats (resistances, vision modes, camo etc), which you get after researching a live capture AND the corresponding autopsy (if applicable),
- mortar tanks,
- stealth armors,
- a full overhaul of enemy stats,
- some 'new' aliens - Lobstermen, Calcinites, a plasma-based lifeform loosely based on the Solarite/Overlord of Hobbes' Are 51 mod, a variant of hellrazer's spitter Chryssalid;
- news reports from Area 51 and Hardmode mods,
- and probably more that I'm forgetting at the moment.
I'm kinda reluctant to release any of this right now, since Solarius is likely to produce a 0.4 before I playtest my changes enought to know they're stable (I've caught SO MANY rather trivial errors that it's not even funny any more, and I'm beginning to dread changing anything in research.rul). :'(
But I've thought a bit about the future of the mod and have two rather concrete suggestions and a couple of observations.
The primary proposal would be to use more of the excellent maps Hobbes has created for his Area 51 mod, and a few from XenoOps. There are forgotten pyramids, an arctic listening post, a bunch of 'secret' installations, the iconic cargo/cruise ship terror missions, and more. They'd definitely give a whole new life to the presently somewhat skeletal T'leth arc.
The second suggestion is to move more towards 'classic' UFOlogy and instead of creating brand-new factions, flesh out the Hybrids, Men in Black and Reptoids. They're the most recognizable and integrate into the overall 'secret invasion' theme far better than evil megacorps or Doom portals to Hell.
For instance, you can have a cattle mutilation site, find an abandoned organ extractor there, stun the (understandably angry) farmer who's now a security risk, interrogate him and track down the Hybrid team responsible for the deed. Or a bunch of compromised Hybrids in some backwater try to signal their masters with crop circles and after some investigation you have a chance of finding a Small Scout delivering new Alien Communicators, or codes, or fetuses, or ... something. :-\
Maybe as a result of the intel you can intercept and stop another Hybrid team from impregnating a woman with the 'evil Alien fetus', which I stole from XenoOps. And then the MiB might interfere with all this...
Reptoids could also be a secret society, perhaps even rivals of the T'leth aliens. Say, as the original Atlanteans, whose empire was destroyed by the arrival of T'leth and who are now manipulating humans to get back at them.
There are some more barebones ideas at https://www.goldhawkinteractive.com/forums/index.php?/topic/6480-the-truth-is-in-here-4-if-x-com-were-more-fortean/ (https://www.goldhawkinteractive.com/forums/index.php?/topic/6480-the-truth-is-in-here-4-if-x-com-were-more-fortean/).
Random thoughts:
There could also be some limited space missions before Cydonia, using the environmental damage ruleset. I'm not so keen on Moon Nazis, but if done well, they might work out.
Cults upgrading to existing factions, like the Church of Dagon already does:
CoD -> UW aliens, EXALT -> MiB, Red Dawn -> Cyberweb/MAGMA, Black Lotus -> Hybrids.
More utility for alien corpses, a la NuXCOM. You could, say, get some kind of alien blood serum with regenerative properties from Reptoids/Snakemen, combat implants from Gazers, psychoactive brain tissue from Sectoids/Cerebreals, repairable armor from Ethereals. These are just random examples, I'm sure Solarius can think (or ask for!) more and better ideas.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 13, 2016, 10:49:16 pm
Hi again!
Oh, good to see you!
I'm kinda reluctant to release any of this right now, since Solarius is likely to produce a 0.4 before I playtest my changes enought to know they're stable (I've caught SO MANY rather trivial errors that it's not even funny any more, and I'm beginning to dread changing anything in research.rul). :'(
Yes, that's why it is best to make a mod to a mod. Or make your own separate mod. The changes are constant, I don't think you can follow them... Plus it would be way easier to analyse your mod ;)
But I've thought a bit about the future of the mod and have two rather concrete suggestions and a couple of observations.
The primary proposal would be to use more of the excellent maps Hobbes has created for his Area 51 mod, and a few from XenoOps. There are forgotten pyramids, an arctic listening post, a bunch of 'secret' installations, the iconic cargo/cruise ship terror missions, and more. They'd definitely give a whole new life to the presently somewhat skeletal T'leth arc.
Yeah, I need to spend some time on updating my maps library. It's hard work though, so I've been putting it off. ;)
By the way, I'm all for additions to the arcs, and yes, T'leth is rather bare bones now, so if someone wants a crack at this... :P
The second suggestion is to move more towards 'classic' UFOlogy and instead of creating brand-new factions, flesh out the Hybrids, Men in Black and Reptoids. They're the most recognizable and integrate into the overall 'secret invasion' theme far better than evil megacorps or Doom portals to Hell.
I can understand Doom, but megacorps? How can you have a game about secret conspiracy stuff without megacorps? :)
But yes, all of these elements are planned. The thing is, there are power tiers, and the ones you're speaking of are of a higher tier than the Syndicate. So they're kind of scheduled for later. But I just made an additional Men in Black mission yesterday, so it's not like I'm doing nothing with them.
For instance, you can have a cattle mutilation site, find an abandoned organ extractor there, stun the (understandably angry) farmer who's now a security risk, interrogate him and track down the Hybrid team responsible for the deed. Or a bunch of compromised Hybrids in some backwater try to signal their masters with crop circles and after some investigation you have a chance of finding a Small Scout delivering new Alien Communicators, or codes, or fetuses, or ... something. :-\
Maybe as a result of the intel you can intercept and stop another Hybrid team from impregnating a woman with the 'evil Alien fetus', which I stole from XenoOps. And then the MiB might interfere with all this...
All awesome ideas.
Reptoids could also be a secret society, perhaps even rivals of the T'leth aliens. Say, as the original Atlanteans, whose empire was destroyed by the arrival of T'leth and who are now manipulating humans to get back at them.
Something exactly like that. Now they want to get back to power...
There could also be some limited space missions before Cydonia, using the environmental damage ruleset. I'm not so keen on Moon Nazis, but if done well, they might work out.
Perhaps, but probably not now.
Cults upgrading to existing factions, like the Church of Dagon already does:
CoD -> UW aliens, EXALT -> MiB, Red Dawn -> Cyberweb/MAGMA, Black Lotus -> Hybrids.
That's the general idea, though the connections network is rather different.
More utility for alien corpses, a la NuXCOM. You could, say, get some kind of alien blood serum with regenerative properties from Reptoids/Snakemen, combat implants from Gazers, psychoactive brain tissue from Sectoids/Cerebreals, repairable armor from Ethereals. These are just random examples, I'm sure Solarius can think (or ask for!) more and better ideas.
I've always wanted this, but it's hard to think of reasonable products from alien soldiers. We already have grav units and synthmuscles... Perhaps alien cybernetics?
EDIT:
I thought about the ideas for Hybrids, the one with a cattle mutilation site and the one with supplies. While I think (think!) it can be scripted somehow, the problem is that these would have to happen only once... You can have an item that upon research triggers a mission, but there's no way to make this one item be researchable again, for another mission... Any suggestions?
Post by: arrakis69ct on October 14, 2016, 12:17:46 am
Enviado desde mi ECOO E04 3GB mediante Tapatalk
Post by: Meridian on October 14, 2016, 05:29:35 pm
Crash report:
[11-10-2016 20:15:59] [FATAL] A fatal error has occurred: vector::_M_range_check: __n (which is 301) >= this->size() (which is 296)
[11-10-2016 20:16:00] [FATAL] Crash dump generated at E:\Arch\G\Openxcom\OpenXcom_XFiles\user\11-10-2016_20-15-59.dmp
[11-10-2016 20:16:14] [FATAL] OpenXcom has crashed: vector::_M_range_check: __n (which is 301) >= this->size() (which is 296)
In alien turn.
For some reason, game is trying to access map node number 301, even though there are only 296 map nodes on this map.
Can't say more right now... don't have a working debug environment.
Post by: Hobbes on October 14, 2016, 08:36:25 pm
a plasma-based lifeform loosely based on the Solarite/Overlord of Hobbes' Are 51 mod
Those are originally from XOps XenoOperations mod. Due credit to whom it is due ;)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 14, 2016, 10:48:05 pm
For some reason, game is trying to access map node number 301, even though there are only 296 map nodes on this map.
Can't say more right now... don't have a working debug environment.
Thanks. It could be a faulty map, but I can't say.
Those are originally from XOps XenoOperations mod. Due credit to whom it is due ;)
By the way, if someone's not credited properly, please let me know ;)
Post by: arrakis69ct on October 15, 2016, 12:30:29 pm
Enviado desde mi ECOO E04 3GB mediante Tapatalk
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 15, 2016, 01:55:41 pm
For my quest nothing?
You mean the problem with leather coats? Yeah, sorry, I forgot to get back to you. I confirm that it's a bug and will be fixed. If you want to fix it yourself, go to armors_XCOMFILES.rul and change
Code: [Select]
storeItem: STR_LEATHER_COAT_UCinto
Code: [Select]
storeItem: STR_LEATHER_COAT
Post by: arrakis69ct on October 15, 2016, 02:34:03 pm
Enviado desde mi ECOO E04 3GB mediante Tapatalk
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 15, 2016, 08:32:25 pm
Perhaps it should be 0.4, but maybe next time. :) I'd like to do more with the Cyberweb first.
Anyway, here's the changes:
- Added M.A.G.M.A. Corporation as a new weapon provider.
- Overhauled the tech tree for adding M.A.G.M.A.
- Added Heavy Shotgun (sprite author unknown).
- Added Tactical Grenade Launcher (modified from a sprite by YukesVonFaust for ZDoom).
- Added two new mapblocks for the Commercial terrain.
- Added Crop Circles missions.
- Added a Cattle Mutilation mission.
- Added some Hidden Caves stuff.
- Sorcerers of Dagon are blue now.
- Fixed some minor inconsistencies with Men in Black.
- Fixed the Luger entry.
- Fixed the Leather Coat bug.
- Fixed a bug with Gilldog needing Alien Containment.
As you can see, many changes are directly related to the community requests and reports. And not just bugs; for example, I've started trying things with crop circles and such, although it's pretty rudimentary at this point.
The link is in the opening post. Enjoy :)
EDIT: I forgot to complete the EXALT Brainer changes that Arthanor pointed out. :P Will be fixed the next time.
Post by: arrakis69ct on October 15, 2016, 09:21:16 pm
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Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 15, 2016, 09:45:15 pm
Thx and great work. If you want and when i have free time i want translate to spanish similar i do in fmp.....
Translations are always welcome.
However, there may be changes to the already existing texts, so bear this in mind.
Post by: Arthanor on October 15, 2016, 11:11:30 pm
Post by: Nord on October 18, 2016, 10:10:41 pm
And minor questions:
- where is ufopedia pages about avalanche and stinger?
- i can not find where to mount craft laser canon. Maybe you can add some craft weapon slots help?
- research explosive and incendary ammunitions adding something? Because i can not find any difference (maybe not researched proper weapons?)
Thanks for your work, by the way. Wery interesting new game you got here. ;-)
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 19, 2016, 11:53:12 am
Found two more unpleasant bugs (aside of missing strings): When avalanche researched, one can buy launchers, but not missiles. Second - when research HWP technology (common one), there rocket hwp can be manufactured (without proper research).
Thanks, both were glaring bugs from where I was trying to revolutionize the tech tree. ;) Luckily, easy to fix.
And minor questions:
- where is ufopedia pages about avalanche and stinger?
It was a part of this bug I mentioned.
- i can not find where to mount craft laser canon. Maybe you can add some craft weapon slots help?
OK, good point. I'll do it when I'm done with overhauling the planes. Lightning is probably the first plane with a beam weapon slot.
- research explosive and incendary ammunitions adding something? Because i can not find any difference (maybe not researched proper weapons?)
Yes, most likely. Because it adds new ammo for Heavy Cannon, Auto-Cannon, Tactical Sniper Rifle and such.
Thanks for your work, by the way. Wery interesting new game you got here. ;-)
Thanks! And sorry about this mess...
Post by: Nord on October 19, 2016, 01:54:44 pm
Upd: Beta-version of werewolf sprite, as promised (maked from muton). A bit ugly, but...
Ufopedia and inventory images will be later,when i gain access to photoshop.
Post by: Arthanor on October 21, 2016, 02:13:42 am
@Solarius:
I've researched Alien Origins (and manged to get Promotion III in November! Go XCom! Go!). The text is a bit weird. The only aliens I've encountered were terror units (reapers, silacoids, maybe something else) and it sounds like my guys actually talked to one of them. I have no clue how someone gets "they have a base of operation in the solar system" from a reaper.. Maybe there could be a "Alien Lifeforms" topic or something, which would replace Alien Origins as a pre-req for Promotion III, and Alien Origins as something that one gets only from.. sentient/humanoid/non-terror units aliens? That way, it would be more believable that you communicated somehow.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 21, 2016, 04:32:05 am
How did you manage to sprite these legs?! It's marvellous!
That looks really cool! Nice work!
@Solarius:
I've researched Alien Origins (and manged to get Promotion III in November! Go XCom! Go!). The text is a bit weird. The only aliens I've encountered were terror units (reapers, silacoids, maybe something else) and it sounds like my guys actually talked to one of them. I have no clue how someone gets "they have a base of operation in the solar system" from a reaper.. Maybe there could be a "Alien Lifeforms" topic or something, which would replace Alien Origins as a pre-req for Promotion III, and Alien Origins as something that one gets only from.. sentient/humanoid/non-terror units aliens? That way, it would be more believable that you communicated somehow.
Yeah, I've been thinking the same, the Alien Origins as they are now are more of a placeholder. I'll get to it soon.
In the meantime, I made some new missions you're all gonna love! Expect some crazy terrorists, hybrid farms and cloned secret agents!
EDIT: I added the "alien lifeforms" research and then recalled that there is also the "Alien Biology" topic. :P Do we need both?
Post by: Kjotleik on October 21, 2016, 05:24:56 am
EDIT: I added the "alien lifeforms" research and then recalled that there is also the "Alien Biology" topic. :P Do we need both?
Well. Depends on what you want.
ALIEN LIFEFORMS
"We've interrogated the aliens. Their behaviour is like so-and-so and they organize their societies like so-and-so. This is what makes their minds tick...babbleon..."
ALIEN BIOLOGY
"We've examined the physiology of the aliens. Their bodies functions like so-and-so. They breed/procreate like so-and-so. This is what makes their bodies tick...babbleon..."
PS!
While we're on the subject. If ever somebody introduces new damageTypes (DT_11 etc), it would be nice with at least three different STUN-damageTypes.
DT_STUN - Biological. Works on humans and hybrids (better on humans, slightly worse on hybrids)
DT_STUN2 - Biological. Works on aliens and hybrids (better on aliens, slightly worse on hybrids)
DT_STUN3 - Electrical (EMP). Works on robotic/powered-mechanical enemies. AND on armours depending on an internal power-source. Such as Power Armour, Flying Armour, Juggernaut Suits, Stormtrooper Suits.
Now that I think about it, those new damageTypes could be implemented in regular OpenXCom, working with standard FMP as well (I hope).
Post by: ohartenstein23 on October 21, 2016, 06:41:15 am
Post by: Nord on October 21, 2016, 08:23:04 am
How did you manage to sprite these legs?! It's marvellousBy hands of course. :-) Please, check animation order. I saw strange artifacts when try do it myself.
And question for future: you can create immovable unit by rulesets? So he can shoot, but can not go?
Post by: Arthanor on October 21, 2016, 08:56:37 am
@Solarius: I think you can have alien life form as a kind of basic information tech, whereas alien origins tells a bit of where they come from and their society and alien biology deals more with how their body functions.
Sort of in order:
- Lifeforms: We've looked at some dead and live ones and they all share thsee traits that allow us to recognize them as truly alien.
- Biology: Their bodies work like that, they depend on this environment and if we want to keep them alive better we need that. If we have that we can keep and properly interrogate the sentient/humanoid ones.
- Origins: They come from somewhere else and to know more we need to talk to their leader.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 22, 2016, 07:58:14 pm
I made a placeholder for the Werewolf Ufopaedia picture, do you people think it's OK enough?
(https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4595.0;attach=24487;image)
(I know it's small. Well, I dare you to walk up to a werewolf and take a better picture.)
EDIT:
Now that I look at him, he looks more like a werecat...
EDIT:
I also had some fun from a Minotaur stole from zDoom forums, got something like this:
(https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4595.0;attach=24491;image)
I don't want to go too far with petting zoo people, but he turned so well, I'd like to actually see him in the game. (If I had a sprite.)
Post by: Arthanor on October 22, 2016, 09:48:19 pm
Nice minotaur, but.. I can't really see where it'd fit :P I guess with the Doom stuff?
Also, what's up with the BlackOps shotgun? "listOrder: ???" I bumped all the ammo down by one to make a spot between the shotgun and its ammo and make a spot at 2251 for it.
Finally, I've made a ruleset for "advanced ammo", which has 10% armor piercing and 15% stun for military weapons, 10% extra armor and 20% stun damage when using hunting weapons. But honestly, I haven't seen much of an effect...
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 22, 2016, 09:58:19 pm
It does look a bit like a "were-mountain lion/wolf" hybrid. Just need a bit more angular of a snout to make it look more canine than feline I think.
How about a wolfman for temperate climates, and a panthorr for jungles? :)
Nice minotaur, but.. I can't really see where it'd fit :P I guess with the Doom stuff?
Doom lore is actually quite tight, so I don't think I can get away with making completely new units... I was thinking some sort of a monster mission (or just a normal hunt), but... well, as you said, it could be too much. I'm trying different ideas though.
Also, what's up with the BlackOps shotgun? "listOrder: ???" I bumped all the ammo down by one to make a spot between the shotgun and its ammo and make a spot at 2251 for it.
Many items don't have listOrder at this point, they're still being done. The next version will be mostly complete. For now, strange positions on lists may happen.
Finally, I've made a ruleset for "advanced ammo", which has 10% armor piercing and 15% stun for military weapons, 10% extra armor and 20% stun damage when using hunting weapons. But honestly, I haven't seen much of an effect...
Cool, keep trying. I'm actually looking forward to your results. ;)
Post by: Arthanor on October 22, 2016, 11:02:58 pm
Maybe EXALT or some other faction who likes to mess around with human DNA decided to make their own minotaurs for fun/security/enforcement. Arguably, when you're busting in the hideout of a rival gang who's been playing on your turf, it's hard to rival the impact of an actual minotaur!
I'm keeping trying. Nov. 1998 now and pretty much have access to all the basic stuff, plus a few things like motion scanners. Working on skyrangers and then going on the offensive once more. I'll try some more stun and see how I can achieve ~15% survival.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 22, 2016, 11:06:51 pm
Temperate werewolf works fine too ;) I think the color also plays as we're so used to grey werewolves.
Yes, that's for sure; I meant making yet another furry for another biome.
Maybe EXALT or some other faction who likes to mess around with human DNA decided to make their own minotaurs for fun/security/enforcement. Arguably, when you're busting in the hideout of a rival gang who's been playing on your turf, it's hard to rival the impact of an actual minotaur!
See? That's why we need the Syndicate. :P Factions like the EXALT or even Red Dawn aren't on the level of actual gene manipulation. Linking Minotaurs to the syndicate could be interesting, though I'm not sure why they would do so. (Military product line, I guess.)
I'm keeping trying. Nov. 1998 now and pretty much have access to all the basic stuff, plus a few things like motion scanners. Working on skyrangers and then going on the offensive once more. I'll try some more stun and see how I can achieve ~15% survival.
You're doing well! How about the cults?
Post by: Arthanor on October 23, 2016, 02:05:48 am
Exalt got me my cult termination for promo 3 and I'm trying to take advantage of all the new hardware I can get for now. Just got labs up in 5 of my bases (not fully staffed though) so that should be quick. Since I'm at +8 million/month even with 7 bases, I probably should.. and I finally have something to make for money.
Current thinking has us researching the Red Dawn operations soon and tackling bases of both them and the church first. Then assemble a full team in Bio armor (since it's good against melee and thus against assassins) before taking on anything big from the Black Lotus. I'm abusing the fact that mission type depends on research to keep the cults small while I grow.
Digging around to see if there were anymore armors coming up, I noticed that personal armor got nerfed. Given that it isn't much protection to plasma already, I was curious why?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 23, 2016, 12:27:24 pm
Digging around to see if there were anymore armors coming up, I noticed that personal armor got nerfed. Given that it isn't much protection to plasma already, I was curious why?
It's actually better against plasma now for the most part. Could need more tuning, but it's supposed to be an anti-energy armour with good mobility. There will be more armour types to complement it.
Post by: Arthanor on October 23, 2016, 06:38:58 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 23, 2016, 09:42:34 pm
Ah! I didn't look at damage modifiers, just armor numbers. Makes sense!
It's okay, nobody ever looks at the resistances. :P
Post by: Nord on October 24, 2016, 02:40:21 pm
Post by: Arthanor on October 24, 2016, 04:25:42 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 24, 2016, 06:28:08 pm
At last, i tear myself from new Empyrion release and returned to sprites. So here it is, maybe a bit ugly, but i tried my best. Inventory, ufopedia and autopsy of werewolf.
Awesome. Integrating it straight away.
(I made another werewolf pic myself, but it's your critter, and also yours looks, well, better. :) )
The only exception is I used your inventory picture to make a Ufopaedia entrance in order to keep Ufopaedia consistent. Maybe I'll use your Ufopaedia picture for something else, like a general article on beastmen or whatever.
PS. Empyrion is on my Steam wishlist! :)
Nice! Werewolves and minotaurs sound like the start of a "mythical beasts" arc. Now we just need to think of a narrative to tie them together.
I'd rather integrate them into an existing or planned arc, instead of making yet another one. :) But yes, the mythical connotations are hard to miss. On one hand I want to tie them to the Syndicate, as this is their kind of thing, but on the other it's tempting to make them something like ancient alien experiments... Or maybe we could have both? :)
In other news, I'm adding new missions like crazy, so hopefully 0.4 will be a major gameplay update - at least for the early game, but not only that. I'm not sure when I'll release it, because I keep adding and changing stuff, but it's already been "releseable" for a week or so. End of the week maybe?
Post by: Nord on October 24, 2016, 07:09:48 pm
The only exception is I used your inventory picture to make a Ufopaedia entrance in order to keep Ufopaedia consistent. Maybe I'll use your Ufopaedia picture for something else, like a general article on beastmen or whatever.I saw, you have different-style pages for deep one and his TFTD friends, and decide to take random nice picture from internet for alive werewolf. But if you want purple-gradient back, i can make one. Well, try to make one...
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 24, 2016, 07:46:38 pm
I saw, you have different-style pages for deep one and his TFTD friends, and decide to take random nice picture from internet for alive werewolf. But if you want purple-gradient back, i can make one. Well, try to make one...
Well, it looks like this:
(https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4595.0;attach=24526;image)
Yes, the TFTD aliens are different, because I never made the effort to edit them correctly. :P It's on the to-do list somewhere.
Post by: Nord on October 25, 2016, 03:05:51 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 25, 2016, 03:27:30 pm
How about that:
Honestly? It's way too big, and doesn't look like pixel art. Your previous one was much better, this one looks more like it was cut from a newspaper.
It's not awful at all, but as I said, the previous one was much more in line with X-Com. I'm sticking with that one, as I quite like it, unless I see something mindblowing. :)
In other news... I worked on the Hybrid faction, added a lot of new missions. However, I don't know what kind of weapons they're supposed to be using. Most Earth weapons are pretty meh at this point, and I want to give them something unique... Any suggestions?
Post by: Arthanor on October 25, 2016, 07:27:56 pm
As for hybrids, it depends very much on what you want hybrids to be: Are they infiltrators for the alien invasion (so fully supported by the aliens) or runaway experiments (so fully on their own) or something in between. If they are supported by the aliens, "low-tech alien weapons" like alien lasers could work and be how XCom gets to develop their own. Vanilla XCom starts with access to laser weapons research, maybe it was from captured alien stuff in the 1996-1999 period covered by XComFiles? If hybrids are on their own, maybe they developed psi-assisted aiming like the reticulans in Piratez? That would give them weapons that don't hurt more, but that are more accurate than average humans and allow them to compete against the 100+ Firing accuracy crack teams from XCom.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 26, 2016, 12:13:13 am
No spoilers though :)
Post by: Arthanor on October 26, 2016, 02:08:25 am
...
Or did that work as planned? :o
;D
Edit because otherwise I'd be a spammer:
I kept on playing, I'll be a bit late on my timetable because I haven't managed to finish interceptors nor clear the cults yet since no base has spawned since I have skyrangers. I'm sure it'll come..
Also, I'm curious how your experiments with dogs are going. Since I did a fair amount of work on them and I am curious about soldier types/soldier specific armor, I could look into it to make dogs a type of soldiers that can't pilot/get promoted and has 3 armors: Default, doggy bulletproof vest and doggy alloy vest.
And finally: I made some "encounter of the 3rd/XXX kind" in December. I'm leaving a save here and I think the title says it all:
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 27, 2016, 02:22:10 am
Well then! I'll find it by playing! >:(
Yeah, though not in 0.4 yet.
Edit because otherwise I'd be a spammer:
I wish more people thought like this...
Also, I'm curious how your experiments with dogs are going. Since I did a fair amount of work on them and I am curious about soldier types/soldier specific armor, I could look into it to make dogs a type of soldiers that can't pilot/get promoted and has 3 armors: Default, doggy bulletproof vest and doggy alloy vest.
Frankly, I haven't found the time for dogs yet. (I just lost a good hour debugging yet another stupid mission.) So if you want to try, you're welcome. :)
Here's what I do have:
Code: [Select]
- type: STR_DOGE
costBuy: 10000
costSalary: 800
minStats:
tu: 60
stamina: 80
health: 15
bravery: 10
reactions: 50
firing: 0
throwing: 0
strength: 1
psiStrength: 40
psiSkill: 0
melee: 70
maxStats:
tu: 70
stamina: 90
health: 20
bravery: 20
reactions: 60
firing: 0
throwing: 0
strength: 1
psiStrength: 40
psiSkill: 0
melee: 90
statCaps:
tu: 100
stamina: 130
health: 40
bravery: 40
reactions: 90
firing: 10
throwing: 10
strength: 2
psiStrength: 40
psiSkill: 0
melee: 140
armor: STR_NONE_UC
# armorForAvatar: STR_NONE_UC
# avatarOffsetX: 68
# avatarOffsetY: 48
standHeight: 12
kneelHeight: 12
femaleFrequency: 50
deathMale: 94
deathFemale: 94And finally: I made some "encounter of the 3rd/XXX kind" in December. I'm leaving a save here and I think the title says it all:
Well... Later game isn't really finished yet. :P
Post by: Arthanor on October 27, 2016, 04:59:18 am
Edit: Also, as can be seen in my previous save, if you have a XCom HQ in the base, somehow the radar circles are not drawn around bases on the geoscape.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 28, 2016, 01:38:06 am
Alright. I'll take a look at the dogs. Especially now that the aliens pretty much won by overpowered tech, as they should I guess.
Sorry to hear that. But is it so bad? Yes, I understand, Ethereals, but did anything really bad happen?
Edit: Also, as can be seen in my previous save, if you have a XCom HQ in the base, somehow the radar circles are not drawn around bases on the geoscape.
I'm moving to another town this week and therefore I didn't have the chance to look at it yet, but I'll try to investigate.
EDIT: Here's the Werecat-nya. :)
Post by: Arthanor on October 28, 2016, 06:42:44 am
Sorry to hear that. But is it so bad? Yes, I understand, Ethereals, but did anything really bad happen?Well.. I don't think I can tackle Ethereals with normal weapons, armored vests and no psi screening. Especially since giving them psi-vision has made them able to psi-shenanigans you from T1 without needing to spot you so there's much less hiding from LOS to avoid getting it. There's always exploiting psi-rods I guess, although it's not easy given I have no access to psi-stat.
Could it be done? Yes, I actually managed to clear the UFO on my 2nd try with only one casualty (the guy who threw the heavy explosive in the UFO at the end of T2) but the first try was absolute mind blowing self-inflicted devastation. And I don't know if I want to go through that again given that it's not really what's supposed to happen.
I like to try and comment on various mods, but I'm not really keen on playing through bugs or game eras that aren't really implemented. I gave up on Piratez once I reached the endgame for that reason too. Dioxine said the endgame wasn't really implemented. And it was honestly boring. All I needed to do was farm the last armor materials in great enough quantity and it wasn't interesting to do. However, since yours is the only other TC that's still going, I'm thinking I'll just restart (after having a look at the mission stuff :P)
Quote
I'm moving to another town this week and therefore I didn't have the chance to look at it yet, but I'll try to investigate.No worries. Actually I looked and I'm not sure why but XCom HQs have a super bad, super long range radar. So it's not that the game doesn't draw the circles, but it wants to draw the larger range available to a given base (the HQ) and that is probably enough to give you global coverage so nothing gets drawn. I'm not sure if a 2% detection rate is worth the inconvenience of not being able to see your actual radar range. But I guess I can also destroy the HQs now that I have labs...
Quote
EDIT: Here's the Werecat-nya. :)Cool stuff! :D
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 28, 2016, 01:49:03 pm
Well.. I don't think I can tackle Ethereals with normal weapons, armored vests and no psi screening. Especially since giving them psi-vision has made them able to psi-shenanigans you from T1 without needing to spot you so there's much less hiding from LOS to avoid getting it. There's always exploiting psi-rods I guess, although it's not easy given I have no access to psi-stat.
Could it be done? Yes, I actually managed to clear the UFO on my 2nd try with only one casualty (the guy who threw the heavy explosive in the UFO at the end of T2) but the first try was absolute mind blowing self-inflicted devastation. And I don't know if I want to go through that again given that it's not really what's supposed to happen.
I like to try and comment on various mods, but I'm not really keen on playing through bugs or game eras that aren't really implemented. I gave up on Piratez once I reached the endgame for that reason too. Dioxine said the endgame wasn't really implemented. And it was honestly boring. All I needed to do was farm the last armor materials in great enough quantity and it wasn't interesting to do. However, since yours is the only other TC that's still going, I'm thinking I'll just restart (after having a look at the mission stuff :P)
All right, that's understandable. I can move Ethereals somewhat further down the line of time, but it probably requires more effort than just this.
Perhaps I'll be able to focus on this after the release.
Thanks for the report! It's probably the first time anyone's gone that far with the mod.
No worries. Actually I looked and I'm not sure why but XCom HQs have a super bad, super long range radar. So it's not that the game doesn't draw the circles, but it wants to draw the larger range available to a given base (the HQ) and that is probably enough to give you global coverage so nothing gets drawn. I'm not sure if a 2% detection rate is worth the inconvenience of not being able to see your actual radar range. But I guess I can also destroy the HQs now that I have labs...
Yes, indeed the HQ's "radar" is indeed global, and its circle shouldn't be shown. But I never noticed it doesn't display other radars either. I guess it could be considered a bug...
Post by: Juku121 on October 28, 2016, 03:44:32 pm
However, since yours is the only other TC that's still going, I'm thinking I'll just restart (after having a look at the mission stuff :P)
If you're going to restart, might I interest you in trying out my altered version of X-Com Files? The primary reason for this would be to identify which of my changes have a broad enough appeal that I can lobby Solarius to add them individually, instead of just dumping all the raw changes at him. The latter did not work, and I'm not blaming him for it either.
If you're game, give me a day or two after Solarius releases 0.4 to merge in the new stuff. If not, well, I'm happy enough with it myself, but I really think at least some of my work is clearly an improvement and it'd be a waste to just let it fade away on page 17 (double the page count, already? :o)
More utility for alien corpses, a la NuXCOM. You could, say, get some kind of alien blood serum with regenerative properties from Reptoids/Snakemen, combat implants from Gazers, psychoactive brain tissue from Sectoids/Cerebreals, repairable armor from Ethereals. These are just random examples, I'm sure Solarius can think (or ask for!) more and better ideas.I've always wanted this, but it's hard to think of reasonable products from alien soldiers. We already have grav units and synthmuscles... Perhaps alien cybernetics?
Well, I implemented something along my original ideas. Most corpses give something (Alien electronics, Alien Alloys, Synthmuscles and Grav Modules are largely unchanged) and the primary new resources are:
- Alien brain tissue (Sectoids, Cerebrals, Ethereals), which is required to build advanced psi-amps, psi-weapons and Psiclones. Basically a way of turning corpses into (more) money via Psiclones and a speedbump for building psi-amps. Finally, this could also be turned into 'ammo' for psi-amps etc, but I don't personally like that idea. And dead Ethereals are still a resource for building Psi-Suits.
- Alien blood serum (mostly reptile Aliens: Snakemen, Tasoths, Reptoids, but also Chryssalids), which is used to build advanced medikits and perishable combat drugs, which are basically 'stims on steroids'. :) That is, they are one-use items that regenerate a lot of energy, remove stun and provide some TU, but are consumed after use and the resources to build them are comparably as limited as Elerium is for general use.
- Alien acids from Celatids, Spitters and their ilk, used by bioweapons like Toxiguns, Dart weapons; Acid grenades, rockets and other munitions. It is possible to synthesize these after extensive research (basically, research all Aliens, their autopsies and bioweapons), but in early and mid-game you have to scavenge.
Thanks for the report! It's probably the first time anyone's gone that far with the mod.
Well, I got as far as late fall of 1999, but restarted due to extensive changes (merging in Commendations mid-game being the primary culprit) and a desire to rebalance the early game. I'm now (back) up to May 1998. I'm no good for bug reports, though, since I'm liable to fix them myself. ;D
As an aside, Commendation triggers seem to be quite buggy. Off the top of my head, people get IED medals for no reason (smoke grenades?), I-stunned-all-Aliens-myself medal is given out left and right, the kill-by-ranks medal is also too frequent.
Post by: Arthanor on October 28, 2016, 05:08:17 pm
All right, that's understandable. I can move Ethereals somewhat further down the line of time, but it probably requires more effort than just this.
Perhaps I'll be able to focus on this after the release.
I thought the idea was to keep the timeine similar to the FMP for January 1999 onward? The Kiryu-Kai research states that the invasion starts on the same date as vanilla and discovering that ethereals, no less, are running missions in December 1998 was just shocking for me. But maybe that's me misunderstanding the intent for the later game.
I very much liked the idea of XComFiles covering the pre-invasion part and thought that your success in the two early years could explain why the aliens decide to come to Earth themselves and terrorize it: you foiled their more insidious appempt with cults to deliver them the world peacefully. But if the cult activity is just masking the invasion which proceeds any ways from the start and it's just that I can't tell since I have no radar it's a bit less empowering.
To me, getting ready to welcome the aliens on January was a great driver for trying to develop and build as much infrastructure as possible. Usually I take the game as it comes and progress along at a pace I find reasonable without trying to exploit the game, but in this mod I had a drive to push my development as far as possible. To discover that aliens are already running about and I was a clueless chimp is a bit disheartening. A few sectoids doing stuff for crop circles missions is cool and ties in the age old ufo reports. Ethereals, which I take to mean every other race since they are the last to show up usually, already being about makes all this talk about a start date much less relevant. It's already started.
All that to say: I'm very curious to know what you intended for January 1999 to represent because it seems like I misunderstood ;P and I know expectations are the worst so I'd rather set them properly.
Quote
Thanks for the report! It's probably the first time anyone's gone that far with the mod.
You're welcome! It was a very entertaining experience. Well done on designing the first two years. In fact, if you implement more early arcs, I'd almost suggest making it 3 years before the invasion so we have time to delve into the arcs properly instead of having too much unfinished business when the aliens show up.
Quote
Yes, indeed the HQ's "radar" is indeed global, and its circle shouldn't be shown. But I never noticed it doesn't display other radars either. I guess it could be considered a bug...
I think that the intent was to only draw the longest range but in this case I agree that excluding global coverage would be good.
@Juku: I'd be curious to see it. Don't worry about time. I'll work a bit on dogs, maybe more on my AP ammo idea and I'll be busy with other stuff for a bit any ways, so there's no rush.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 28, 2016, 09:57:01 pm
If you're going to restart, might I interest you in trying out my altered version of X-Com Files? The primary reason for this would be to identify which of my changes have a broad enough appeal that I can lobby Solarius to add them individually, instead of just dumping all the raw changes at him. The latter did not work, and I'm not blaming him for it either.
If you're game, give me a day or two after Solarius releases 0.4 to merge in the new stuff. If not, well, I'm happy enough with it myself, but I really think at least some of my work is clearly an improvement and it'd be a waste to just let it fade away on page 17 (double the page count, already? :o)
I certainly don't mind, if there is interest. But I think our differences are mostly around basic gaming concepts, like "should armour have weight", in the large picture there shouldn't be much differences. But it also depends how you'll approach 0.4, which is pretty much done.
BTW: It's your call Juku, but like before, I really recommend writing a separate mod to XCF rather than changing the master mod, since the thing is a nightmare to work with. ;)
Well, I implemented something along my original ideas. Most corpses give something (Alien electronics, Alien Alloys, Synthmuscles and Grav Modules are largely unchanged) and the primary new resources are:
- Alien brain tissue (Sectoids, Cerebrals, Ethereals), which is required to build advanced psi-amps, psi-weapons and Psiclones. Basically a way of turning corpses into (more) money via Psiclones and a speedbump for building psi-amps. Finally, this could also be turned into 'ammo' for psi-amps etc, but I don't personally like that idea. And dead Ethereals are still a resource for building Psi-Suits.
- Alien blood serum (mostly reptile Aliens: Snakemen, Tasoths, Reptoids, but also Chryssalids), which is used to build advanced medikits and perishable combat drugs, which are basically 'stims on steroids'. :) That is, they are one-use items that regenerate a lot of energy, remove stun and provide some TU, but are consumed after use and the resources to build them are comparably as limited as Elerium is for general use.
- Alien acids from Celatids, Spitters and their ilk, used by bioweapons like Toxiguns, Dart weapons; Acid grenades, rockets and other munitions. It is possible to synthesize these after extensive research (basically, research all Aliens, their autopsies and bioweapons), but in early and mid-game you have to scavenge.
I agree with the principle. Not really convinced by alien brain juice useful for psionics, since it has to do with complex information patterns, and that's highly unlikely with chemical molecules - otherwise we'd have moldy food leftovers go sentient. :) And other such components are often easily enough synthesised on Earth. But I'm all for the general idea.
As an aside, Commendation triggers seem to be quite buggy. Off the top of my head, people get IED medals for no reason (smoke grenades?), I-stunned-all-Aliens-myself medal is given out left and right, the kill-by-ranks medal is also too frequent.
This is a general issue; when Yankes merges current nightly, hopefully it'll be fixed.
I thought the idea was to keep the timeine similar to the FMP for January 1999 onward? The Kiryu-Kai research states that the invasion starts on the same date as vanilla and discovering that ethereals, no less, are running missions in December 1998 was just shocking for me. But maybe that's me misunderstanding the intent for the later game.
Yes, you are correct: the aliens start the invasion at that date.
I very much liked the idea of XComFiles covering the pre-invasion part and thought that your success in the two early years could explain why the aliens decide to come to Earth themselves and terrorize it: you foiled their more insidious appempt with cults to deliver them the world peacefully. But if the cult activity is just masking the invasion which proceeds any ways from the start and it's just that I can't tell since I have no radar it's a bit less empowering.
It's not exactly that the aliens suddenly changed their plans because of X-Com, the invasion would happen anyway. The cults etc. are only a part of it, but in fact they constitute a majority of invasion forces.
I kinda like the idea that doing well with the cults would push the alien invasion further; it's a cool mechanic, if done right. But I don't know if I can do something like that with what we have. I could make some research prerequisite to alien missions, but it would destroy the feeling of inevitability of the invasion.
Nevertheless, cults, hybrids etc. make so much ruckus that without your effort, the Earth would be much more weakened.
To me, getting ready to welcome the aliens on January was a great driver for trying to develop and build as much infrastructure as possible. Usually I take the game as it comes and progress along at a pace I find reasonable without trying to exploit the game, but in this mod I had a drive to push my development as far as possible. To discover that aliens are already running about and I was a clueless chimp is a bit disheartening. A few sectoids doing stuff for crop circles missions is cool and ties in the age old ufo reports. Ethereals, which I take to mean every other race since they are the last to show up usually, already being about makes all this talk about a start date much less relevant. It's already started.
No, that's not true: the aliens really start their shit in January 1999. There are some alien vessels before, basically research, but they are only occasional at best. To get such a ship, much less an Ethereal one, before 01.1999, requires much luck (lol).
Anyway, today I rebuilt the missions to make sure that Ethereals appear much later... At least on normal missions.
Actually, the alien invasion will probably be less intense than in vanilla, since you have so much to do on the other fronts. For example, only 20% chance for an Alien Terror each month - but you also have other difficult missions. Thisgs will be balanced further if necessary.
You're welcome! It was a very entertaining experience. Well done on designing the first two years. In fact, if you implement more early arcs, I'd almost suggest making it 3 years before the invasion so we have time to delve into the arcs properly instead of having too much unfinished business when the aliens show up.
I'm considering it. There is much more early content in 0.4, and also even more content once you discover the Hybrids. For now, we stay like we were, but with softer invasion.
I think that the intent was to only draw the longest range but in this case I agree that excluding global coverage would be good.
I don't want to abandon my HQ "radar" idea (which is really just some people waiting at their phone lines), so I guess we'll have to live with it for now. I'll ask Meridian later if we can have all the circles displayed. Frankly, this is something I already wanted before, X-Com HQ aside.
Post by: Nord on October 28, 2016, 11:03:58 pm
I agree with the principle. Not really convinced by alien brain juice useful for psionics, since it has to do with complex information patterns, and that's highly unlikely with chemical molecules - otherwise we'd have moldy food leftovers go sentient. :) And other such components are often easily enough synthesised on Earth. But I'm all for the general idea.I always liked this principe. Like in the PirateZ, when you need each artifact for some future purpose. So you must cut implants from alen bodyes, disassemble cyberdiscs for advanced circuits, dismantle alien food for reagents and so on. And after that combine it all in one useful item. :P
By the way, can you add in next patch bioextraction of alive floaters and zombies. I think it is bug not to use them.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 28, 2016, 11:07:32 pm
I always liked this principe. Like in the PirateZ, when you need each artifact for some future purpose. So you must cut implants from alen bodyes, disassemble cyberdiscs for advanced circuits, dismantle alien food for reagents and so on. And after that combine it all in one useful item. :P
Yes, but it's harder to fit it into X-Com Files. :P
By the way, can you add in next patch bioextraction of alive floaters and zombies. I think it is bug not to use them.
Zombies yes, that's already done. Floaters no, because they don't have this Elerium-based metabolism - they are just cyborgs. (We should be able to extract some cybernetics from them, like from Mutons... But I'm not sure what for, yet.)
Post by: Drasnighta on October 28, 2016, 11:35:31 pm
(We should be able to extract some cybernetics from them, like from Mutons... But I'm not sure what for, yet.)
Please...
We're Humans...
We're best known for randomly inserting metal into parts of our bodies purely for decoration
Post by: Juku121 on October 29, 2016, 12:32:49 am
I certainly don't mind, if there is interest. But I think our differences are mostly around basic gaming concepts, like "should armour have weight", in the large picture there shouldn't be much differences. But it also depends how you'll approach 0.4, which is pretty much done.
Oh, there are definitely some changes that either clash with your vision or are just plain unintuitive. But I don’t think armor weight is one of those. Full-body armor definitely weighs more than a business suit. I guess the real issue is that my armors have negative weight.
And I don’t have anything you might call an 'approach’. I just scavenge and develop random gameplay ideas that I either read about or that come to me while playing. You’re the guy with lots of new ideas and a vision.
BTW: It's your call Juku, but like before, I really recommend writing a separate mod to XCF rather than changing the master mod, since the thing is a nightmare to work with. ;)
The trouble with doing that is it’s pretty much ongoing work that both changes and adds to the original mod. It would be a major pain to try to maintain minimally changed rulesets. Plus, I don’t think it’s possible to make an extensive submod for anything but a fixed version of the base mod, and right now there is a single constantly changing version.
Maybe all this would be feasible for an eventual 1.0, but that’s a long way off yet and I’ll probably burn out on X-Com sometime during the next six months or so and then disappear until 2019.;D
What I can offer is that if (when?:D) you identify a list of changes you like, I can provide the minimal changes needed to implement those and you can just paste them in.
I agree with the principle. Not really convinced by alien brain juice useful for psionics, since it has to do with complex information patterns, and that's highly unlikely with chemical molecules - otherwise we'd have moldy food leftovers go sentient. :) And other such components are often easily enough synthesised on Earth. But I'm all for the general idea.
Well, I was thinking more along the lines of a lobotomized piece of alien brain in a small life support unit ('brain in a jar’, heh). Kinda like the semi-dead Tasoths, biodrones and Great Sleeper lore of TFTD. ‘Big-brained’ aliens can be cut into smaller pieces and still function as a psionic medium.
But yeah, it’s mostly window dressing for a desirable gameplay effect rather than a well thought-out idea.
No, that's not true: the aliens really start their shit in January 1999. There are some alien vessels before, basically research, but they are only occasional at best. To get such a ship, much less an Ethereal one, before 01.1999, requires much luck (lol).
Shameless plug: my version gets to Ethereals only in 2002, but they’re really scary now. As in, can see you through walls, have psi-stats far beyond human (so virtually immune to your psi), able to stun you instead of mind control, which is arguably worse than MC. Nuking them with Blaster Bombs might be a legitimate tactic now. But you MUST capture an Ethereal Commander to find out about Cydonia.
Edit: this talk about Alien food reminds me of another change: advanced buildings require Alien components now: surgeries for the Sick Bay, food for containment (you can hold a single alien in a prototype facility that can be built without Alien Food), Elerium power sources for plasma defences etc.
Post by: Nord on October 29, 2016, 09:47:57 am
Floaters no, because they don't have this Elerium-based metabolism - they are just cyborgs. (We should be able to extract some cybernetics from them, like from Mutons... But I'm not sure what for, yet.)I mean gravisystem, as we can extract from dead floaters. Or make possibility to kill captured aliens.
About brain samples - Lore friendly thing: reading ufopedia we see that all of alien species infused with many cybernetic implants. And humans can not produce nothing like it. But maybe can adapt some for self?
As always, sorry for bad grammatic.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 29, 2016, 12:40:00 pm
I mean gravisystem, as we can extract from dead floaters. Or make possibility to kill captured aliens.
No idea how to go about this right now, but yes, it's logical.
About brain samples - Lore friendly thing: reading ufopedia we see that all of alien species infused with many cybernetic implants. And humans can not produce nothing like it. But maybe can adapt some for self?
There are limitations as to what I can do, but I feel the same.
Post by: Nord on October 29, 2016, 01:25:45 pm
No idea how to go about this right now, but yes, it's logical.Simple. Manufacturing option, one live unit needed, one dead produced.
Post by: Dioxine on October 29, 2016, 02:35:59 pm
Shameless plug: my version gets to Ethereals only in 2002, but they’re really scary now. As in, can see you through walls, have psi-stats far beyond human (so virtually immune to your psi), able to stun you instead of mind control, which is arguably worse than MC.
Be careful with buffing their Psi Power too much, Solar already went that route in FMP and it wasn't fun to play at all (get mindfucked no matter what or go 100% tanks yo), since how the psi equations work (quadratic attack, linear defense). Going above circa 4000 psi (Power * Skill) is venturing into game-breaking territory, at least w/o tweaking how defence works.
Also, how did you make that stun? As an extra attack from their psi weapon? I'm curious since I didn't try that out yet.
As a word of advice, better make your changes a separate mod. Else you'll get fucked as Solar updates his files (not to even mention your changes will quickly become useless to anyone but yourself). It's a higher energy & time investment upfront, but saves a ton of trouble later. I made the same mistake as you did when tweaking the 40k mod.
Post by: Juku121 on October 29, 2016, 03:46:56 pm
Be careful with buffing their Psi Power too much, Solar already went that route in FMP and it wasn't fun to play at all (get mindfucked no matter what or go 100% tanks yo), since how the psi equations work (quadratic attack, linear defense). Going above circa 4000 psi (Power * Skill) is venturing into game-breaking territory, at least w/o tweaking how defence works.
Right now, it’s 3000 for soldiers and 5000-6000 for top end guys. Promoting the use of tanks is actually an unintended side effect I quite like. But the psi system has also undergone some changes: dedicated psi-troopers with special equipment max out at 2250, and ALL psi is distance-based and requires energy. So you do have tools to mitigate their power somewhat.
Also, how did you make that stun? As an extra attack from their psi weapon? I'm curious since I didn't try that out yet.
Yes, exactly as Yankes outlines in his documentation. I have a special copy of the Black Lotus Flame Glove for direct damage, and the Ethereal leadership has their own counterpart as well, so I didn’t want to make a lethal psi-attack. I think it all works well: the player does not get a lot of use out of stun, since it’s shorter-ranged and less reliable than other ranged stun weapons. But it’s highly disrupting in Alien hands, yet can be managed with medi-kits etc, so not quite instakill territory.
As a word of advice, better make your changes a separate mod. Else you'll get fucked as Solar updates his files (not to even mention your changes will quickly become useless to anyone but yourself). It's a higher energy & time investment upfront, but saves a ton of trouble later. I made the same mistake as you did when tweaking the 40k mod.
That’s what I was rambling about on the last page and what the page 17 version essentially is, isn’t it? The problem is, it’s hard to parse for changes and diverges from the original in a number of places, so Solarius (understandably) did not want to try incorporating anything major and picked only some low-hanging fruit. I think there’s more of those still available, e.g. soldier icons for equip screen and UFOpedia entries for enemy stats, but that’s the whole point behind my trying to enlist … alpha-testers, right? 8)
Post by: Nord on October 29, 2016, 04:16:10 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 31, 2016, 02:53:30 am
Simple. Manufacturing option, one live unit needed, one dead produced.
Yeah, you are correct. I was referring to the ever-changing way of dealing with living aliens (and researched items ), I think some versions allow killing aliens or something, so I was hoping for a cleaner solution... But Piratez have butchery and it's perfectly fine, so I guess I can too.
That’s what I was rambling about on the last page and what the page 17 version essentially is, isn’t it? The problem is, it’s hard to parse for changes and diverges from the original in a number of places, so Solarius (understandably) did not want to try incorporating anything major and picked only some low-hanging fruit. I think there’s more of those still available, e.g. soldier icons for equip screen and UFOpedia entries for enemy stats, but that’s the whole point behind my trying to enlist … alpha-testers, right? 8)
Yeah, part of the point is that our versions are so hard to compare. :) WinMerge helps a little, but not everything is in the same order, so ultimately it's way too much work. I'm not in the polishing phase yet, so yeah, I'm cherry-picking. But I do realize I'll have to do the proper stuff at some point, like writing armour stats.
I made different engine for MiB vessels, maybe you`l like it.
I like it! Taken. :)
But I'll experiment with colours and maybe make another version. For now it stays, it looks very good.
EDIT:
Version 0.4 has been released.
- Most enemies can now surrender (new code by Meridian, as always).
- Added dedicated Hybrid faction (with no Sectoids).
- Added Hybrid Experimental Farm mission.
- Added Holiday Resort Attack mission.
- Added Hybrid Agent mission.
- Added more Crop Circles missions.
- Added Madman Rampage missions.
- Added Spider Nest mission.
- Added Werewolves (sprites by Nord).
- Added Werecats (based on the same sprite).
- Added Chempistol and Chemogun.
- Added Shiv.
- Added Bone Club and other junk.
- Added small ranks icons.
- Added stats for armours.
- Added new Men in Black vessel engine (sprite by Nord).
- Added an article on the EXALT brainer and the Sorcerer of Dagon, as life forms.
- Rebalanced the odds for some events.
- Pushed some alien races to appear later than before.
- Stims are generally stronger.
- Zombies give Energetic Blood Plasma now.
- Improved nodes for Polar maps to allow more spawns.
- Re-ordered lists.
- Some new helpful Ufopaedia articles.
- Fixed a bug with Avalanche missiles being impossible to buy.
- Fixed a bug with Tank/Rocket Launcher available for manufacture too early.
- Fixed a critical problem with hacking alien data slates.
- Fixed a small problem with spritesheets size.
- Fixed wrong picture for the Giant Spider (was displaying Giant Spider Queen instead).
- Fixed a bug with Bio-Exo Suit allowed on infiltration missions.
Like every round version number, it is more beta than not, so bug reports are appreciated. Also please be advised that some missions are time-limited, but this mechanic doesn't work yet as it needs later nightly, but it'll probably be fixed soon.
EDIT 2:
Meridian reported a serious bug with the surrender mechanics. I'll post a patched version when the fix is ready.
Post by: Nord on October 31, 2016, 01:00:32 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 31, 2016, 11:14:35 pm
Hi. I am not a real painter, so dont expect much. But here is some slightly improved ufopedia images. Maybe i can redact zombies later...
Thanks! All of them definitely look much better. I'll add them to the next release, which hopefully will be very soon because of the surrender bug.
As for the Hybrids, I want to redo them, so your work might be in vain... But on the other hand the Ufopaedia page looks acceptable now, thanks to you, so maybe I'll just change the sprite. I think it was my first sprite for OXC and it is a train wreck. :P
EDIT:
0.4b was uploaded.
It contains a fix for the surrendering bug and some improved Ufopedia pics by Nord.
Post by: Nord on November 01, 2016, 11:17:29 am
Log:
[01-11-2016 12:10:55] [FATAL] A fatal error has occurred: code 0xc0000005
[01-11-2016 12:10:55] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
...
[01-11-2016 12:10:55] [FATAL] SymFromAddr failed: 487
[01-11-2016 12:10:55] [FATAL] 0x752033b8 BaseThreadInitThunk (SymGetLineFromAddr64 failed: 487)
[01-11-2016 12:10:55] [FATAL] 0x773b9e6f RtlInitializeExceptionChain (SymGetLineFromAddr64 failed: 487)
[01-11-2016 12:10:55] [FATAL] 0x773b9e6f RtlInitializeExceptionChain (SymGetLineFromAddr64 failed: 487)
[01-11-2016 12:10:56] [FATAL] Crash dump generated at E:\Arch\G\Openxcom\OpenXcom_XFiles\user\01-11-2016_12-10-55.dmp
[01-11-2016 12:11:00] [FATAL] OpenXcom has crashed: code 0xc0000005
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 01, 2016, 02:40:29 pm
You can fix it by adding this to the item.rul:
Code: [Select]
- type: STR_DESTROY_EXALT
bigSprite: 299
weight: 0
invWidth: 2
invHeight: 3
Or you can download the new version 0.4c I just posted, which has no other changes.
By the way, my next objective is reacting to the feedback on 0.4, especially regarding early game balance and the new missions. So I'm counting on you all! :)
Otherwise I plan to concentrate on the Syndicate. At this point it's the terrain graphics, since no suitable terrain exists. I've already started making a corporate building tileset (mainly by stealing from every possible existing terrain of course), but it's a huge task and won't be finished soon. So I'll work on it in the background, between more urgent things.
Post by: Nord on November 01, 2016, 08:09:24 pm
I wanted to write a post like "Too easy, need more armored enemies!!!"... aaaand... terror with sectopods and chryssalids. No survivors. Well done.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 02, 2016, 12:09:32 pm
I wanted to write a post like "Too easy, need more armored enemies!!!"... aaaand... terror with sectopods and chryssalids. No survivors. Well done.
:P
Can you tell me what month it was?
Post by: Nord on November 02, 2016, 04:17:20 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 02, 2016, 07:24:30 pm
14 april 1999
That's pretty early... I'll check if it's OK.
Post by: Nord on November 02, 2016, 07:31:12 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 02, 2016, 07:34:19 pm
Yup, i have not researched laser or better weapons, so... so i found uber-weapon: blackops heavy minigun. It can kill sectopod by one autoshot. So it can kill ANYONE by one autoshot, i think. Maybe little nerf will be useful.
You know, it's the first time I've heard of anyone using this weapon. And I think it's properly balanced; I'd rather give a buff to the Sectopod. I plan to buff the aliens anyway somewhat.
Post by: Nord on November 02, 2016, 07:54:06 pm
Offtop question about "startingconditions": I saw Meridian post "Soldiers, which won't fit in the replacement craft, won't be available during the mission at all." What if all soldiers won't fit?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 02, 2016, 08:07:48 pm
As you wish.
Offtop question about "startingconditions": I saw Meridian post "Soldiers, which won't fit in the replacement craft, won't be available during the mission at all." What if all soldiers won't fit?
I expect the game to crash with a message that "no X-Com units could be placed on the map", or something similar. Which is a normal thing if you make a map without a craft (like in the alien base for example) and screw up.
Post by: alinare on November 02, 2016, 08:16:46 pm
I imagine you are aware of it, but in the missions to be accomplished one objective, I think ten rounds, if all pass, not ends. I've been tested, purposely letting go all shifts, and exceeding the limit, but the game continues.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 02, 2016, 08:19:15 pm
I imagine you are aware of it, but in the missions to be accomplished one objective, I think ten rounds, if all pass, not ends. I've been tested, purposely letting go all shifts, and exceeding the limit, but the game continues.
Yes, that's because the mechanics is missing from the code yet. :) It's in the nightly, which should be merged soon by Yankes. So for now I'm just pretending it's all fine, and la-la-la, I can't hear you. :)
Post by: Nord on November 02, 2016, 08:22:10 pm
I expect the game to crash with a message that "no X-Com units could be placed on the map", or something similar. Which is a normal thing if you make a map without a craft (like in the alien base for example) and screw up.Sad. I wanted to implement depth restrictions in tftd based on this.
Post by: alinare on November 02, 2016, 08:22:39 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 02, 2016, 08:39:28 pm
Agree. No pressure or get you intend to draw fouls. To all this, your work seems amazing and impressive, especially the variety you're printing, the mod. :)
Well, it's called alpha for a reason. :)
By the way, is there a real life weapon that really should be in the mod and isn't yet? (No promises though.)
Post by: Arthanor on November 02, 2016, 08:41:58 pm
14 april 1999hehe so someone got further than me :) What was the main enemy of the terror mission? Snakemen?
I'm guessing that the blackops minigun wins by armor damage, akin to how chem wins in Piratez. You hit something repeatedly until you deplete armor and subsequent hits kill. This makes weapons with extra armor damage and lots of shots better than "dedicated weapons" like lasers which ignore armor.
Post by: mrbiasha on November 03, 2016, 06:38:26 am
I started when v3.6 was current build I suppose and now my date is 5th of June 1999 and on the latest terror misson I got bunch of sectopods, some gazers, three ethereals and three mutons. By the moment I busted EXALT, Black Lotus and Church of Dagon, researched lazers and railguns, so it was somewhat managable. But I also shot down a UFO with interrogation room full of ethereals, 7 of them I think - that nearly costed me my whole top team, had to use savecheating. I met some snakemen, but for some reason they were quickly replaced by gazers.
Post by: arrakis69ct on November 03, 2016, 09:44:39 am
Enviado desde mi ECOO E04 3GB mediante Tapatalk
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 03, 2016, 01:09:03 pm
I just registred to tell, that you, all your colleagues in modding and your work are amazing and awesome.
I started when v3.6 was current build I suppose and now my date is 5th of June 1999 and on the latest terror misson I got bunch of sectopods, some gazers, three ethereals and three mutons. By the moment I busted EXALT, Black Lotus and Church of Dagon, researched lazers and railguns, so it was somewhat managable. But I also shot down a UFO with interrogation room full of ethereals, 7 of them I think - that nearly costed me my whole top team, had to use savecheating. I met some snakemen, but for some reason they were quickly replaced by gazers.
Thank you very much for the kind words.
Yes, I have already modified alien missions so that Ethereals aren't as early. That was after 4.0c though, so unreleased yet. Congratulations on making it this far though!
I update the Game to 4 and when load i have a car named café withouth a ufopaedia entry. Whats the car do?
What do you mean? Is it in the quick battle, or actual game?
Post by: mrbiasha on November 04, 2016, 10:49:26 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 04, 2016, 03:45:12 pm
I'm a bit new here and maybe it was previously asked, but could you please tell if Cults are intentionally different in strehngth and hardness? I just busted Red Down HQ and it felt easier than Black Lotus and generally Church felt not very hardy, next was Red Down, then EXALT with Black Lotus where EXALT .
They are not intentionally different, I just didn't found it necessary to make them perfectly balanced. There are too many random elements in the game anyway. And besides, it also depends on personal tactics and preferences, so another player might put them in a different order.
By the way, Black Lotus HQ used to be even harder - before the camo mechanics the Assassins were essentially invisible unless seen from a diagonal angle, which made them very hard to spot in tight corridors. But I think it's better now, without dirty hacks.
Post by: mrbiasha on November 04, 2016, 06:46:52 pm
Btw, don't know if it is a known bug, but when you try to craft Stormlance game crashes
In addition to that "Railguns" ufopedia entry make gane to crush
Post by: arrakis69ct on November 04, 2016, 08:54:09 pm
Thank you very much for the kind words.Actual Game. in base appear in a hangar. Is a starting Game only 3 month of game
Yes, I have already modified alien missions so that Ethereals aren't as early. That was after 4.0c though, so unreleased yet. Congratulations on making it this far though!
What do you mean? Is it in the quick battle, or actual game?
Enviado desde mi ECOO E04 3GB mediante Tapatalk
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 04, 2016, 11:54:19 pm
Actual Game. in base appear in a hangar. Is a starting Game only 3 month of game
Interesting... I have no idea how it happened, probably mixed ids.
Can you post a save?
Post by: kazek on November 04, 2016, 11:56:39 pm
I just had a seemingly simple mission: bust some Church of Dagon worshippers. My two operatives approached them at night with their flashlights on. Suddenly one of them (shotgun wielding) got a headshot and those basterds run of the building looking for my remaining officer (armed with glock, electric club and two spare clips). I had to turn off my flashlight and hunt them one by one in the woods staying on the verge of light (from the flashlight dropped by my dead soldier). Simply epic! Thank you very much!
Also small bug report. I got CTD when game tries to spawn postal mission. It says:
Quote
OpenXcom has crashed: Error proccessing mission script named: soldierRampage, race: STR_POSTAL1 is not defined. Extra information has been saced to openxcom.log
Also from my earlier playthrough (maybe it was allready reported) in Red Dawn HQ some of my soldiers were spawned in room they couldn't escape from (there was no doors, lift, ladder and the walls were undestructible, at least for explosives)
And I don't know if this is intentional or not but EXALT has some high-explosive armchairs in their lair.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 05, 2016, 12:02:51 am
This mod is getting better and better!
Thanks! Glad you're still playing it.
I just had a seemingly simple mission: bust some Church of Dagon worshippers. My two operatives approached them at night with their flashlights on. Suddenly one of them (shotgun wielding) got a headshot and those basterds run of the building looking for my remaining officer (armed with glock, electric club and two spare clips). I had to turn off my flashlight and hunt them one by one in the woods staying on the verge of light (from the flashlight dropped by my dead soldier). Simply epic! Thank you very much!
Yeah, walking around with flashlights (or flares) in hand is just teasing the sniper. :) Of course they have their role, but if you're fighting by night, you'd better stay in the dark, because the opponents won't be so nice as to light up themselves.
Also small bug report. I got CTD when game tries to spawn postal mission. It says:
Shit. I screwed up. :/
I'll fix it.
Also from my earlier playthrough (maybe it was allready reported) in Red Dawn HQ some of my soldiers were spawned in room they couldn't escape from (there was no doors, lift, ladder and the walls were undestructible, at least for explosives)
I think this has been fixed already.
And I don't know if this is intentional or not but EXALT has some high-explosive armchairs in their lair.
OK, I'll look at it.
Thanks for the feedback!
Post by: khade on November 05, 2016, 05:19:10 am
Found two issues, though I only thought to get a save for one. First is some stairs you can climb up, but not down, treats the area above the stairs as normal floor, got the save for that. Second was a general enemy fenced off from your agents, shotgun took care of the fence. Scatter from shotguns is a little insane, killed an agent directly behind the guy on one attempt.
Edit
was messing with the new battles part of the main menu, looking at the ufopedia, I get a crash on the chemtrails transfer site, hybrid storage facility, and hybrid operations. Haven't had time to check the whole topic, so I don't know if those have been mentioned.
Incidentally, what is the CAFE? I was in there to see what it was.
Post by: mrbiasha on November 05, 2016, 10:06:23 am
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 05, 2016, 10:57:31 am
Just looking into this mod, interesting so far, not as quirky as pirates. Are the bikini babe posters default? I can't remember those in the original game.
I think it was added by Hobbes, and maybe Dioxine had something to do with it, I'm not sure. :)
Found two issues, though I only thought to get a save for one. First is some stairs you can climb up, but not down, treats the area above the stairs as normal floor, got the save for that.
Thanks, fixed (I hope).
Second was a general enemy fenced off from your agents, shotgun took care of the fence.
If it comes up again, please let me know which place it was.
was messing with the new battles part of the main menu, looking at the ufopedia, I get a crash on the chemtrails transfer site, hybrid storage facility, and hybrid operations. Haven't had time to check the whole topic, so I don't know if those have been mentioned.
When exactly did it crash? What race and terrain was used?
Incidentally, what is the CAFE? I was in there to see what it was.
It's a cafe. :q
Basically a starting point for one discreet mission, where you're not supposed to go guns blazing in a Dragonfly.
Wow, I thought I already knew that ethereals are pretty scary. Until I decided that the time has come to bust some bases. Just than I realized that of first three bases I had on surface two belong to ethereals and one to sectoids. Now I'm really considering to not to shoot down next snakeman base convoy as it seems only option to acquire more data slates without too much pain.
Whew, it's a good thing I fixed a bug with these slates recently.
Post by: mrbiasha on November 05, 2016, 11:21:50 am
Whew, it's a good thing I fixed a bug with these slates recently.
Well, one would have to face them at some point anyway :)
Early ethereal presense could be considered an ingame situation apart from fact that I probably managed to snatch some tech and intel from them very early.
Also, may I ask whom anthropods belong to or are they a separate faction?
And I have a very strange situation: a very large MiB ship with Base mission sat down in the middle of USA and is sitting there for about a week or so. Is it supposed to do such things?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 05, 2016, 11:59:04 am
Early ethereal presense could be considered an ingame situation apart from fact that I probably managed to snatch some tech and intel from them very early.
I've modified race appearance tables, so it should be a little less outrageous with the next release.
Also, may I ask whom anthropods belong to or are they a separate faction?
For now they are just another alien race, but I plan to change it in the future - the "invasion from another dimension" arc.
And I have a very strange situation: a very large MiB ship with Base mission sat down in the middle of USA and is sitting there for about a week or so. Is it supposed to do such things?
Yes, because it technically is a base. (An old and rather simplified mechanics.) They constantly generate negative points, like and landed UFO, so if you leave them untouched, they'll pull you under. Raid them! :)
Post by: Nord on November 05, 2016, 01:45:27 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 05, 2016, 02:00:17 pm
Maybe assault cannon, miniguns androcket launchers must be pure two-handed?
Yes, they should... I thought they were already. :)
Post by: Nord on November 05, 2016, 10:04:26 pm
And... After elerium research, oxcfiles magically turns into FMP. With delta-radiation, cheating railguns, e.t.c.
Looks like there is plenty to do in late game. I dont want to say it is bad, understood me right, please. I was just surprised. :o
And little advice for those, who just begin playng: do not sell corpses before research them. ;)
Post by: khade on November 06, 2016, 02:41:38 am
Found another map bug, which if you can figure out how to duplicate it, could be fun, a hill just had one level empty, your troops can't get on top, but can walk right through it. The reason I think it could be fun duplicated is that you're investigating strange things, so why not reality itself having glitches?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 06, 2016, 12:04:46 pm
So, here i am again, with my nobody-asked-opinion, bad english and long text.
Great, I'm always eager to read your nobody-asked-opinions! :)
And... After elerium research, oxcfiles magically turns into FMP. With delta-radiation, cheating railguns, e.t.c.
Looks like there is plenty to do in late game. I dont want to say it is bad, understood me right, please. I was just surprised. :o
Yes, you are correct... The late game is FMP at this point. And yes, it still needs a lot of work, since I'm creating stuff in chronological order.
I'm not sure what you mean by "cheating railguns" - if you mean they're too good and/or too easily accessible, rest assured that the entire Gauss tree will work differently. I never considered Railguns OP though, can you elaborate?
And little advice for those, who just begin playng: do not sell corpses before research them. ;)
In any mod ever. 8)
The choices I had were farm, sectoid, scout, on beginner difficulty, since I was honestly just there to see what cafe was.
....Apparently, I should make more missions with the cafe. :)
Found another map bug, which if you can figure out how to duplicate it, could be fun, a hill just had one level empty, your troops can't get on top, but can walk right through it. The reason I think it could be fun duplicated is that you're investigating strange things, so why not reality itself having glitches?
Hmm, interesting... Pity I can't do much with it if I don't know which one it is. It's probably one of Hobbes' terrain blocks, which means it's probably repaired on his side already... But if it's not, I'll have to know which one it was.
Post by: BTAxis on November 07, 2016, 09:44:23 pm
(https://s15.postimg.org/783px17kb/nostairs.png)
My man managed to get up there, but he can no longer get out because there's a floor where the stairs should be! Mysterious!
Seriously though I have no idea if this is a known or even already-fixed issue, but I figured I'd report it anyway. Apologies if I'm being redundant.
Post by: khade on November 08, 2016, 01:52:14 am
Post by: arrakis69ct on November 08, 2016, 02:21:09 am
Just tried this mod for the first time, and I found this:Yes i see this in my Game. I solved shooting and destroying a wall. Later. flying freeeeeee.
(https://s15.postimg.org/783px17kb/nostairs.png)
My man managed to get up there, but he can no longer get out because there's a floor where the stairs should be! Mysterious!
Seriously though I have no idea if this is a known or even already-fixed issue, but I figured I'd report it anyway. Apologies if I'm being redundant.
Enviado desde mi ECOO E04 3GB mediante Tapatalk
Post by: Arthanor on November 08, 2016, 05:07:39 am
I've seen that map in Piratez too.
Also, Solarius, I'll get a dog mod with armored and alloy vests to share tomorrow :) just a few things to fix.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 08, 2016, 03:37:57 pm
Also, Solarius, I'll get a dog mod with armored and alloy vests to share tomorrow :) just a few things to fix.
Damn, I really should go and do something about that dog race then... :)
EDIT: What names should dogs have? In what language? :)
Post by: Arthanor on November 08, 2016, 04:10:36 pm
I'll give you the XAE attack dog mod by tonight. Just gotta fix the no promotion and no piloting stuff now, and also some carry capacity stuff.
The mod is made for OXCE+ since I don't want to maintain multiple executables and that's by far the best one. Especially once Yankees finishes the merging.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 08, 2016, 04:56:05 pm
I went online and got the 24 most common dog names in English for both males and females. Seems sufficient. I left their last names as a space (will actually look if I can make it empty) as that's not really needed.
Exactly what I thought. But you're saying you have names in English, shouldn't X-Com dogs be multilingual?
I know! I'll ask people for popular dog names in their languages. So, people, please write your suggestions for the furry friends!
I'll give you the XAE attack dog mod by tonight. Just gotta fix the no promotion and no piloting stuff now, and also some carry capacity stuff.
Cool, whenever you're ready. I need to make the basic version first.
Post by: yrizoud on November 08, 2016, 07:08:56 pm
I know! I'll ask people for popular dog names in their languages.The dogs I know mostly refer to each other as "Woof" 8)
More seriously, you can pick from here for a more international range, though this is unfortunately not in "list" format.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_individual_dogs
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 08, 2016, 07:44:52 pm
The dogs I know mostly refer to each other as "Woof" 8)
Dog language isn't supported yet. 8)
More seriously, you can pick from here for a more international range, though this is unfortunately not in "list" format.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_individual_dogs
Yes, this is actually a good idea... X-Com dogs being named after famous dogs.
Post by: Arthanor on November 08, 2016, 07:49:35 pm
Exactly what I thought. But you're saying you have names in English, shouldn't X-Com dogs be multilingual?Well, assuming XCom's working language is English (which would make sense for an international entity), I personally think it's fine to get English names. I went with most common English ones, but if you can find it, a list of most common worldwide one could work too. Also, maybe they're trained in an English speaking facility? :P
Quote
I know! I'll ask people for popular dog names in their languages. So, people, please write your suggestions for the furry friends!See, I wouldn't even know.. I'm not a dog person. I guess that's sort of why going with a generic answer was fine for me.
Quote
Cool, whenever you're ready. I need to make the basic version first.In theory, you could simply delete every reference you have to dogs in XCF and copy in the XAE ruleset and resources, I think. Just need to tweak a few things (ex.: I'm guessing you won't like the "scanners" I use, and you would probably want armored vests for dogs to become available only when you get armored vests for agents, amongst other things).
Post by: Juku121 on November 08, 2016, 08:10:05 pm
I'm also aiming at publishing the new version I promised before 0.4 either tomorrow or the day after, unless Solarius is again faster and puts out a new version before then.
Post by: Arthanor on November 08, 2016, 08:48:19 pm
Edit: Here's what I have for dogs. Have fun plundering, Solarius ;)
Basically:
- Dog soldier type
- 3 armor types: None, Armored Vest (currently requires nothing), Alloy Armor Vest (currently requires personal armor)
- Bites with icons to match the armor (Built in weapon for each armors)
- A "doggy sense" motion scanner that enables dogs to remain sort of relevant in the later game as scouts (requires mind probe, built in weapon for each armors)
- UFOPaedia articles for each armors, the bite (it's the same for all armors) and "doggy sense"
This means dogs can't pick up stuff from the ground and put it in their "hands", you have to put it in the backpack. I personally think that's fine plus it completely disallows using items by having two built in weapons. You can of course remove the scanner too and recover the "default dog" pretty easily.
I am keeping the two built in weapons and will actually edit the mod to allow for dogs to have strength which will factor in bites and carry capacity, instead of the strength 1 "hack".
Post by: mrbiasha on November 10, 2016, 06:40:10 am
Also, may I ask what will be the next milestone and when can we expect new update? I'm of course have no intention to hurry you up, every bit of work you've done so far is awesome and fun to play, it's just I'm closing in to Cydonia mission and would probably like to start a new run of X-Com Files with higher difficulty as soon as any critical update releases.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 10, 2016, 02:56:01 pm
Also, may I ask what will be the next milestone and when can we expect new update?
Soon, but it's mostly bug fixes and such. Still, there will also be real X-Com dogs (with names, experience etc.), mini-icons for armour types in the craft UI, new Red Dawn unit and some new map blocks.
Post by: Juku121 on November 10, 2016, 04:51:56 pm
I'm of course have no intention to hurry you up, every bit of work you've done so far is awesome and fun to play, it's just I'm closing in to Cydonia mission and would probably like to start a new run of X-Com Files with higher difficulty as soon as any critical update releases.
You're in luck! ;D I just posted an altered version of the X-Com Files in a separate thread (an older version was in the middle of this one, but it's updated now, too). It has... lots of new stuff, and I hope some more of it migrates to XCF.
If you really want 0.41 or whatever it's going to be called, I'm going to update to that. No promises about 0.5+ right now, though.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 10, 2016, 04:55:06 pm
And I'm telling you, this is the most exciting thing I've ever done for X-Com. :)
Post by: ohartenstein23 on November 10, 2016, 04:55:48 pm
Edit: By the way, I've been playing a zombie mission, and I swear these agents are even worse shots that vanilla X-Com soldiers. A 75% aimed shot feels more like a 50%, with the other 50% being hitting your buddy a few tiles away from the line of fire.
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 10, 2016, 05:27:50 pm
Edit: By the way, I've been playing a zombie mission, and I swear these agents are even worse shots that vanilla X-Com soldiers. A 75% aimed shot feels more like a 50%, with the other 50% being hitting your buddy a few tiles away from the line of fire.
Condolences. :) But have you lost anyone? If not, then well, success.
Also, regarding dogs: everything's peachy, but I have two problems:
1) If I put a dog armour on a dog, I can't change it back to STR_ARMOR_DOGE.
2) Dog armour names aren't displayed properly, even though I gave them strings.
Arthanor in particular, do you know what could be wrong?
Here's the armours:
Code: [Select]
armors:
# dogs
- type: STR_DOGE_ARMOR
spriteSheet: DOGE.PCK
spriteInv: inventory_DOGE
customArmorPreviewIndex: 21
corpseBattle:
- STR_DOGE_CORPSE
visibilityAtDay: 30
visibilityAtDark: 20
heatVision: 20
frontArmor: 0
sideArmor: 0
rearArmor: 0
underArmor: 0
movementType: 0
drawingRoutine: 4
overKill: 1.5
damageModifier:
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 0.5
- 1.0
- 1.0
units:
- STR_DOG
builtInWeapons:
- STR_DOGE_BITE
- STR_DOGE_TRACK
loftempsSet: [ 2 ]
- type: STR_DOGE_ARMOR_UNDERWATER
spriteSheet: DOGE.PCK
spriteInv: inventory_DOGE
customArmorPreviewIndex: 21
corpseBattle:
- STR_DOGE_CORPSE
visibilityAtDay: 30
visibilityAtDark: 20
heatVision: 20
frontArmor: 0
sideArmor: 0
rearArmor: 0
underArmor: 0
movementType: 0
drawingRoutine: 4
overKill: 1.5
recovery:
health:
flatHundred: -1
damageModifier:
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 0.5
- 1.0
- 1.0
units:
- STR_DOG
builtInWeapons:
- STR_DOGE_BITE
- STR_DOGE_TRACK
loftempsSet: [ 2 ]
- type: STR_DOGE_COMBAT_VEST_ARMOR
spriteSheet: DOGE_COMBAT_VEST.PCK
spriteInv: inventory_DOGE_COMBAT_VEST
customArmorPreviewIndex: 22
corpseBattle:
- STR_DOGE_COMBAT_VEST_CORPSE
visibilityAtDay: 30
visibilityAtDark: 20
heatVision: 20
frontArmor: 6
sideArmor: 10
rearArmor: 8
underArmor: 4
movementType: 0
drawingRoutine: 4
overKill: 1.5
damageModifier:
- 1.0
- 0.8
- 1.0
- 0.8
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 0.9
- 1.0
- 1.0
units:
- STR_DOG
builtInWeapons:
- STR_DOGE_BITE
- STR_DOGE_TRACK
loftempsSet: [ 2 ]
- type: STR_DOGE_COMBAT_VEST_ARMOR_UNDERWATER
storeItem: STR_DOGE_COMBAT_VEST
spriteSheet: DOGE_COMBAT_VEST.PCK
spriteInv: inventory_DOGE_COMBAT_VEST
customArmorPreviewIndex: 22
corpseBattle:
- STR_DOGE_COMBAT_VEST_CORPSE
visibilityAtDay: 30
visibilityAtDark: 20
heatVision: 20
frontArmor: 6
sideArmor: 10
rearArmor: 8
underArmor: 4
movementType: 0
drawingRoutine: 4
overKill: 1.5
recovery:
health:
flatHundred: -1
damageModifier:
- 1.0
- 0.8
- 1.0
- 0.8
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 0.9
- 1.0
- 1.0
units:
- STR_DOG
builtInWeapons:
- STR_DOGE_BITE
- STR_DOGE_TRACK
loftempsSet: [ 2 ]
- type: STR_DOGE_ALLOY_VEST_ARMOR
storeItem: STR_DOGE_ALLOY_VEST
spriteSheet: DOGE_ALLOY_VEST.PCK
spriteInv: inventory_DOGE_ALLOY_VEST
customArmorPreviewIndex: 23
corpseBattle:
- STR_DOGE_ALLOY_VEST_CORPSE
visibilityAtDay: 30
visibilityAtDark: 20
heatVision: 20
frontArmor: 12
sideArmor: 20
rearArmor: 15
underArmor: 7
movementType: 0
drawingRoutine: 4
overKill: 1.5
damageModifier:
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 0.8
- 0.7
- 0.7
- 1.0
- 0.9
- 1.0
- 1.0
units:
- STR_DOG
builtInWeapons:
- STR_DOGE_BITE
- STR_DOGE_TRACK
loftempsSet: [ 2 ]
- type: STR_DOGE_ALLOY_VEST_ARMOR_UNDERWATER
spriteSheet: DOGE_ALLOY_VEST.PCK
spriteInv: inventory_DOGE_ALLOY_VEST
customArmorPreviewIndex: 23
corpseBattle:
- STR_DOGE_ALLOY_VEST_CORPSE
visibilityAtDay: 30
visibilityAtDark: 20
heatVision: 20
frontArmor: 12
sideArmor: 20
rearArmor: 15
underArmor: 7
movementType: 0
drawingRoutine: 4
overKill: 1.5
recovery:
health:
flatHundred: -1
damageModifier:
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 0.8
- 0.7
- 0.7
- 1.0
- 0.9
- 1.0
- 1.0
units:
- STR_DOG
builtInWeapons:
- STR_DOGE_BITE
- STR_DOGE_TRACK
loftempsSet: [ 2 ]
And here's the soldier entry:
Code: [Select]
soldiers:
- type: STR_DOG
costBuy: 10000
costSalary: 800
minStats:
tu: 60
stamina: 80
health: 15
bravery: 10
reactions: 50
firing: 0
throwing: 0
strength: 1
psiStrength: 40
psiSkill: 0
melee: 70
maxStats:
tu: 70
stamina: 90
health: 20
bravery: 20
reactions: 60
firing: 0
throwing: 0
strength: 1
psiStrength: 40
psiSkill: 0
melee: 90
statCaps:
tu: 100
stamina: 130
health: 40
bravery: 40
reactions: 90
firing: 10
throwing: 10
strength: 2
psiStrength: 40
psiSkill: 0
melee: 140
trainingStatCaps:
tu: 70
stamina: 90
health: 20
bravery: 20
reactions: 60
firing: 0
throwing: 0
strength: 1
psiStrength: 40
psiSkill: 0
melee: 90
armor: STR_DOGE_ARMOR
armorForAvatar: STR_DOGE_ARMOR
avatarOffsetX: 68
avatarOffsetY: 48
soldierNames:
- delete
- DogName/ZZZ_Doge.nam
allowPiloting: false
allowPromotion: false
standHeight: 12
kneelHeight: 12
femaleFrequency: 50
deathMale: 94
deathFemale: 94
Post by: ohartenstein23 on November 10, 2016, 05:36:32 pm
Edit: Aaaaand dangit, cult base just a few miles out of Dragonfly range, and my nearby base was just built, no hangars yet. Van time!
Post by: mrbiasha on November 10, 2016, 08:18:15 pm
Next version hopefully tomorrow. I've been delayed by working on goddamn space battles (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,3626.msg74042.html#msg74042) with Dioxine.
And I'm telling you, this is the most exciting thing I've ever done for X-Com. :)
OH MY, THIS IS SPACE MISSION
ur mad guys, ur really mad and doing mad things and I like them so much
though XPiratez is a bit too much total conversion to my taste it includes so many cool features
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 10, 2016, 11:58:06 pm
I'm starting to think these stupid mutts aren't worth the trouble. :P
Post by: Meridian on November 11, 2016, 01:00:25 am
Update on the dogs issue: they also crash the game if I try entering their inventory.
I'm starting to think these stupid mutts aren't worth the trouble. :P
Don't give up. If it's something engine can't handle, I can help with that...
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 11, 2016, 01:11:54 am
Don't give up. If it's something engine can't handle, I can help with that...
Thanks. Well, I made some progress, the only problem left is that the avatar portrait remains human, even if I change the armorForAvatar flag to STR_DOGE_ARMOR - which is a dog picture. I have no idea why, so in the end I changed the coordinates so it only shows the black background.
Also I had many problems with multiple dog armours (not being able to change back, strings not displayed, etc.), but for now I've decided to just leave it; I've never been particularly convinced about putting armours on dogs anyway. (Though I suppose US army does this kind of thing.)
Post by: Arthanor on November 11, 2016, 02:17:08 am
For some reason I don't have "avatar instead of ranks" in the executable I tested the mod on, so I can't help with that :/ I'll try to have a look within the next few days if you don't manage to fix it. But it does seem like defining the "armorForAvatar" should do it, so I don't know...
Post by: ohartenstein23 on November 11, 2016, 06:40:19 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 11, 2016, 07:11:23 pm
Did you ever get any further on the above-ground bases idea? I'm interested in making a mod that has above-ground bases, but I haven't made any progress other than replacing the dirt filled-in area with empty space.
Sadly not yet, because there is a number of serious technical problems with it.
Most importantly, the base tileset is already almost full, and making a surface area would require many more tiles.
Secondly, the surface would be independent of global texture, which means it would always look the same - either in a jungle or on an ice field. Not a deal breaker, since you can just make it all concrete and asphalt, but it wouldn't be too easy to make it look good.
Finally, while you can add a surface level to the base map blocks, you can't have surface buildings and independent underground buildings - if you want to build underground, you have to demolish the one above it. I find it rather sad, but it also causes logistic problems, like making sure all underground buildings are accessible without giving each building a separate entry from the surface.
Post by: ohartenstein23 on November 11, 2016, 08:32:32 pm
Edit: Oh, and dang are these cult bases tough. I can't even really get out of the Dragonfly!
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 11, 2016, 08:43:57 pm
I mostly wanted to be able to have the unfilled tiles draw from the global texture, or at least get the day/night shade, but this puts more of a damper on things. Thanks for the reply anyways.
If you manage to make some kind of progress here, please let me know. :)
Edit: Oh, and dang are these cult bases tough. I can't even really get out of the Dragonfly!
Heh, I just tried to do it with a van... I thought I'll manage by night, but I lost a Commissar and another soldier straight away to well-placed EXALT officers and had to put the pedal to the metal.
EDIT: I've decided to decrease some low-ranking enemies' Bravery, since they are pretty much immune to surrendering otherwise.
Post by: ohartenstein23 on November 11, 2016, 09:56:41 pm
I'm on try #3 on the EXALT base - first one, my pilot put me down with the ramp facing the base, number two almost had it all exterminated, then ran an unlucky corner into an enforcer's knife. This one the Master was nice enough to run out front where I could grab him, now I just want to kill all the rest to make them pay for the two good agents I lost so far.
Post by: dorsidwarf on November 11, 2016, 11:39:33 pm
But I've
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 12, 2016, 12:35:26 am
Changelog:
- Dogs are soldiers now (not HWPs). No special dog armours yet, because the engine is acting up (read: I have no idea what I'm doing).
- New mini-icons for armor types in the craft UI (graphics by Dioxine and Juku).
- Updated the camouflage engine for Meridian's new code.
- Added new Red Dawn unit: Pioneer.
- Added X-Com Psiclone.
- Added a few new Desert and Grassland Desert blocks.
- Added Tundra Desert terrain.
- Decreased Bravery on some weaker human enemies.
- Gauss Pistol fires faster.
- Smaller Rail clips.
- Fixed a critical crash with Homicidal Maniac missions.
- Fixed wrong ratios and unlock times for Alien Terror races.
- Fixed an error in the COMRCURBAN16 map.
- Fixed a small error in the XBASS_09 map.
- Fixed a small error in the DAWNURBAN12 map AGAIN.
EDIT: There's a crash on one new unit, please use a hotfix from this post (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5047.msg74206.html#msg74206).
Post by: dorsidwarf on November 13, 2016, 02:07:33 am
Post by: Dioxine on November 13, 2016, 03:44:13 am
Post by: Nord on November 13, 2016, 02:39:01 pm
Post by: Solarius Scorch on November 13, 2016, 03:06:04 pm
By the way. I looked into research rules to find, when i can fill empty equipment slots of my advanced crafts... and find nothing. Are they just not ready yet, or i'm dumb?
They're not ready yet... I've been working on them a year ago, they were crashing the game, I never got around to finishing it as I started doing other things. If anyone want to help with the ruleset, I'd appreciate it. :)
Post by: Arthanor on November 13, 2016, 10:23:17 pm