OpenXcom Forum
Modding => Released Mods => The X-Com Files => Topic started by: Vangrimar1 on June 20, 2018, 03:53:18 pm
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Hi! :) Solarius Scorch once said that it would be arc about "The Thing". Small ideas for speeding up the process. ;)
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Centaur from Fallowt will fit as a big monster.
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Creepy sprites, well done.
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Well! What can I say:
(https://i.redd.it/3ah6k9okldoy.jpg)
I planned to do this mission with the Abomination... But now it's not an option, right? :)
The problem however is lack of terrain... I must build some sort of an Antarctic base.
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Lack of terrain? Doesn't Area 51 have Antarica base missions? I seem to remember Meridian being unhappy about them being always dark.
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Lack of terrain? Doesn't Area 51 have Antarica base missions? I seem to remember Meridian being unhappy about them being always dark.
Actually the idea was to use the underwater lab from TFTD, but I will check if something else can be used. Thanks!!
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The thigs head. I'm not very good in pixel art. Maybe someone will do better. ::)
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Inventory for big thing. I do not know how to make big monsters (4 cells), maybe someone will help?
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The dog thing. It is better if it is immobile, with short range distance attack.
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Another variant of the infected polar explorer.
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Many thanks for all the resources! I will try to do this as soon as I find some time. (I am really swamped with other bits.)
Inventory for big thing. I do not know how to make big monsters (4 cells), maybe someone will help?
Making sheets for large units is actually even easier than normal units, as you don't need as many sprites, and you work with the entire unit image instead of parts.
Use this simple tool from Falko: http://falkooxc2.pythonanywhere.com/hwpbuild
Select your big unit template (Reaper is probably the most generic for most units), download it, modify, upload back, cut. If you have any trouble please let me know.
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I'm wondering if it's possible to make it so that aliens are not displayed as hostile targets (by the number and on the minimap)? Such an opportunity would be useful for aliens posing as humans.
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I'm wondering if it's possible to make it so that aliens are not displayed as hostile targets (by the number and on the minimap)? Such an opportunity would be useful for aliens posing as humans.
Unfortunately no, though it would be cool. On the other hand, it would be another case of GUI betraying the player. ;)
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Can you do another color on the map for when you aren't sure what side they're on?
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Can you do another color on the map for when you aren't sure what side they're on?
What do you mean by "you aren't sure"? Like, create a new minimap value (for example white) for certain units?
I guess it would be possible to code (by an actual coder, not a modder), but there are also other issues... Like the indicators in the lower right corner, soldiers stopping upon seeing a hostile unit, etc. So it would be a pretty complex change, and I doubt our coders would want to add this special case to the already long list of requests.
But hey, with this we could also have the Shrubinator. :D (If you don't know what that is, don't ask...)
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I think that's what I meant. I agree it looks pretty difficult for minor benefit, at best.
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Wow, this looks like a really special event!
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As for "the thing" not showing up as hostile on the map:
Does zombification work with non-melee type weapons? Would it possible to equip a civilian unit with a timed explosive that zombifies them when it explodes and kills them (would probably require "hot grenades" enabled)? That way non-hostile units might be able to "spawn" hostile entities.
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As for "the thing" not showing up as hostile on the map:
Does zombification work with non-melee type weapons? Would it possible to equip a civilian unit with a timed explosive that zombifies them when it explodes and kills them (would probably require "hot grenades" enabled)? That way non-hostile units might be able to "spawn" hostile entities.
Zombifying works with ranged weapons, but explosives? Probably not. Still, an interesting idea.
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Perhaps it will be a variant of turning civilians into monsters after a certain number of moves. In armor conditions, you can set a gradual loss of health and turn into another unit after death. But I do not know if this will work with civilians.
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It should work. Thanks for the ideas!
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Or have them start with an unconscious unit in their inventory? That would probably carry the risk of the "original" thing being easily re-stunnable, but once it wakes up it would probably zombify any nearby (civilian) units.
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Or have them start with an unconscious unit in their inventory?
Not supported.
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Not supported.
:(
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The idea of working with health, the civilians are perfectly excelled in monsters. You can realize something like alien eggs, out of which the aliens hatch. I wonder if it's possible to add wounds through the armor. Then in the theory of the infected one can be cured.
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Ready variant of the infected civil.
- type: INFESTEDCIVF_ARMOR
spriteSheet: INFEST_CIV_FEM.PCK
corpseBattle:
- CIVF_CORPSE
frontArmor: 0
sideArmor: 0
rearArmor: 0
underArmor: 0
drawingRoutine: 4
deathFrames: 18
damageModifier:
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.0
- 1.2
- 1.6
- 1.0
builtInWeapons:
- STR_INFESTED_FEM_CORPSE
recovery:
stun:
healthCurrent: 0.01
health: -0.075
health:
flatHundred: -0.05
stunNormalized: -0.1
loftempsSet: [ 5 ]
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Thanks for all the new contributions!
I hope to start working on this after the next release.
EDIT:
I'm sorry it takes so long, I'm pretty swamped with various features...
Before I start, can I please get an outline how these units are supposed to work? Which one transform into which, and maybe what should they do (in general)? I've seen the movie and the sprites, but it's better to ask than to misunderstand.
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Thank you for not forgetting this direction. By transformations: 1st stage - a “normal” person, with a knife or a firearm. Balanced behavior. Stage 2 - full-fledged infected, aggressive behavior, melee. Stage 3 - spider's head, trying to escape. If there are dogs, something like that can be done with them.
Considering that thing is terrible first of all because it is not known who is a friend and who is an enemy, you can use the mechanics of "infected civilians" as an alternative to the mission timer. For example, we have a base of polar explorers with one infected dog and several civilians. The task is to kill the dog as quickly as possible and do not allow it to infect everyone (the analog is the village of the crisalids). At the same time, some civilians are initially infected and after a few turns themselves turn into thing. :o
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OK, thanks. So all the units can infect civilians?
(Unfortunately the target indicators will tell you everything...)
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Not necessary. Initially, the monster is only one on the map. An example of an infected civilian I cited above. The whole joke is that he is NOT displayed as an enemy, but turns into him only after death. Thus, if you set a condition for loss of health in the settings of your armor, then this will start as a timer. For example, a civilian 10 health, each turn, he loses 2 health. Thus, in five moves, he will turn into a monster. Visually, the loss of health is not displayed, it is difficult to understand who is infected and who is not.
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Not necessary. Initially, the monster is only one on the map. An example of an infected civilian I cited above. The whole joke is that he is NOT displayed as an enemy, but turns into him only after death. Thus, if you set a condition for loss of health in the settings of your armor, then this will start as a timer. For example, a civilian 10 health, each turn, he loses 2 health. Thus, in five moves, he will turn into a monster. Visually, the loss of health is not displayed, it is difficult to understand who is infected and who is not.
OK, I get it now!
Not sure if it can be done, though... I need to consult the elders.
EDIT:
Sorry, what place does IFESTEDGIRL.png occupy in the life cycle? What does it transform into?
EDIT 2:
In fact I'd appreciate more info on what each unit should be doing, especially how it attacks... I can try to design it myself, but it's a tricky business, so I'll probably do it all wrong. :)
On the positive side, I'm finally working on this seriously. Just be patient.
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Okay so as recall the movie, now many years later, the plan is:
Start with one isolated monster(probably the dog), and some "infected" civilians that degen and die to be replaced with infested copies, only distinguishable by the enemy in sight warning.
At least one of those infected then becomes the "head" critter on death, another infected become the amalgamate thing. the rest become normal infested the same as anything killed by an infested.
The ideal outcome is that it takes awhile to find the dog and in the mean time some of the civilians start turning, hopefully out of immediate LOS. Then the mission goes the way of a chrysilid terror mission, except your previously cleared areas are not clear at all.
And if your really willing to go the extra mile, figure out some way to have units in areas "outside"(and made so by blowing stuff up) take cold damage every turn, with the baddies taking extra.
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Thanks Legion, I have it planned out in a similar way. My concern is more about physical attacks - what exactly should they do?
Also, out of curiosity: how do you propose to distinguish between outside and inside? I have nothing.
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For the attacks maybe the one 'the void' uses. It already has a similar effect on the target (makes a copy of itself). The thing would be doing the same thing.
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Should all units cause "zombification"? Or only some?
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Yeah the outside/inside thing is probably unworkable. The closest execution i can think of is to sink the main level of the map under ground by one Z level and have "bombs" of cold damage go off every round ala pink dessert at surface. The roofs of the underground part keep surface level explosions out but if the roofs start getting broken it would reach inside.
Mechanically the "bombs" are low damage(so it wont damage terrain on it own) but largely ignore armor and have a significant "to stun"alter. The foes are extra vulnerable to whatever damage time these bombs are assigned. Would also need to be large aoe so it will propagate through any gaps made in the base roofs for some distance.
If we are being true to the source everything should spread the infection. But that might not be balanced depending other factors. Mostly how durable you make the infected. In the movie the monster was mostly immune to physical force due to its fluid/malleable form. So chrysilid++ in a fashion and the "hidden" infected make normal clearing strats ineffective. Probably have to stop the spread at some stage. Maybe the dog and the head cant spread?
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Good concept with the "cold bombs", but I would have to do it on all cold maps, and that would be excessive. Besides, it's pretty hackish; the explosions would be visible to the player.
The infected units don't have that many HPs, but they are highly resistant to most forms of damage. Fire, acid and plasma are the way to go.
EDIT: THE MISSION IS READY!
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Wow, this WILL be scary. :D
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Scorch have you seen the game audio files for “The Thing” Pc game? - think I saw them on the sounds resource website.
Interestingly I saw the game for the original Xbox for a £1 recently so picked it up to enjoy some point ... when I’m not modding OXC :)
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Scorch have you seen the game audio files for “The Thing” Pc game? - think I saw them on the sounds resource website.
Interestingly I saw the game for the original Xbox for a £1 recently so picked it up to enjoy some point ... when I’m not modding OXC :)
Haven't looked for anything like that, vanilla sounds seem fine. But if you have a better alternative, I am always open for suggestions.
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Wow... cannot wait to see this added to the X-Com Files mod in the future!
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I just had to search for this thread after finding a creepy antartic mission, with a certain Thing. And holy crap was I scared! I figured out immediately they were tough when it took a lot to bring one down, so my 2nd turn instinct was to stun civillians.
Surprise! First civillian was a Thing in disguise, and that right there scared me more than any other mission in my entire time playing X-COM. Needless to say, I had brought only 7 soldiers (although well equipped with .308 and black ops assault rifles and flame gloves, and flares and lights as it was winter in the antartic!) After that nasty surprise, I wasted no time in flame gloving every civilian I saw to death, unsure if they were human or not.
At first I felt a tiny bit betrayed, but given I survived the ordeal with no casualties (thanks to psionics and sheer brutality towards every living thing there) it was a thrill of a mission!
edit: also good work on ufopedia entry
also, civillian death score should possibly be turned off/down/something for that mission? It seemed like the disguised Things counted as dead civilian score, maybe at least when I disintegrated them in one shot
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Glad this mission worked for you so well! It's thrilling to read.
Regarding the points, I don't think it can be done (or I don't know how), but also I think it works as it should; killing civilians looks bad on paper, even if they're suspected of being an alien menace. But you get the points prize for doing the summary research, which more than outweighs the loss.
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Hi guys. I played this mission recently and loved it! So awesome, plus "The Thing" is one of my favourite movies. I do have one suggestion though: the monsters should be affected primarily by fire and / or explosives, and not by gunfire, just like in the movie! In fact, if it is possible, gunfire should do almost no damage. Can this be done? Even if it's not possible it's still awesome. Thanks for such lovely content :)
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Hi guys. I played this mission recently and loved it! So awesome, plus "The Thing" is one of my favourite movies. I do have one suggestion though: the monsters should be affected primarily by fire and / or explosives, and not by gunfire, just like in the movie! In fact, if it is possible, gunfire should do almost no damage. Can this be done? Even if it's not possible it's still awesome. Thanks for such lovely content :)
That's already the case!
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That's already the case!
Really? I could swear I took the critters down with just bullets and guns. Hmm... maybe I also used grenades?
Anyway, awesome mission and great execution :)
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Really? I could swear I took the critters down with just bullets and guns. Hmm... maybe I also used grenades?
Anyway, awesome mission and great execution :)
You can do that, but it takes a very long time. Just think about it,people might not have any incendiaries on them and they'd be stuck if they only have regular guns.