OpenXcom Forum

Modding => Released Mods => The X-Com Files => Topic started by: Bobwolf on August 06, 2018, 08:22:07 am

Title: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: Bobwolf on August 06, 2018, 08:22:07 am
Hey guys!

I had an idea while I was playing the game and I'm not sure how much work it would require or even if it's possible.

There is a mission of concerned citizen where you need to recover some top secret files. Well how about this :

Once you research those files, they grant you access to some information about Strange life form. This could lead to another research unlocking a certain weapon type to allow you to kill or capture strange life form. (Simple example : Werewolf can be killed with silver...) And when you capture a strange life form, it could lead you to a special project. Live werewolf could grant you access to a better medikit since werewolf are suppose to regen wounds except from silver. Of course, the chance to get the Concerned citizen mission should be higher. And it could have rival agency agents appearing as the time goes on...

Strange life form mission should be very risky (more than they are already  8)) without the good info/tools. I'm not saying that it should be impossible but maybe very risky.

Also, if I take the werewolf example once again, maybe he could be very resilient to lots of damage type except silver ?

Just a thought !
 
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: krautbernd on August 06, 2018, 11:29:02 am
You already get access to better healing items via energetic blood plasma. Splitting up research during that stage of the game would probably be counter-productive if all you get is basically a different version of the healing gel. Werewolves (and all other monsters) are perfectly killable without expensive ammunition. Also, we already have what - 10 different damage types in the game? Do we need another one for one or two monster types? "Silver" would also be kind of overspecific compared to "Plasma" or "Chemical". The new combat analysis screens already tell you what kind of damage enemies are susceptible to once you manage to capture and interrogate live enemies - isn't that what you're asking for?

While i like the idea of being able to dispatch vampire knights more easily (they'd probably be susceptible to silver to i take it?) i don't see how it would fit in lore wise - the syndicate is basically just breeding and introducing these monster to cause terror and unrest - why go through the trouble of making one of them susceptible to one specific type of metal? Also, how would that fit in with the "final solution" you get later on if werewolves are pretty much immune to everything else?

Why should those missions be "more risky" than they are already? So that players can get more frustrated early on? Have you had a bunch of chupacabras gang up on your team before? Yeah, i don't think we need more of that, at least when you're just starting out. It's bad enough running into Reapers when all you have is pistols and the early shotguns - there needs to be some kind of consistency in regards to mission difficulty.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: Bobwolf on August 06, 2018, 06:27:21 pm
Yeah I understand.

And do we have access to weapon attached with a flashlight? That would be very useful.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: legionof1 on August 06, 2018, 08:55:55 pm
While a tactical light would be cool. The engine does not really support such things. Any light source is spherical only and only outfits lights can actually be turned off ATM.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: tkzv on August 06, 2018, 09:53:52 pm
While a tactical light would be cool. The engine does not really support such things. Any light source is spherical only and only outfits lights can actually be turned off ATM.
Meridian mentioned directional lights in his plans. Someday.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: legionof1 on August 06, 2018, 11:24:52 pm
Indeed some day, but Merdian is only one being, no matter how talented or diligent. It may be a very long time in deed.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: Meridian on August 06, 2018, 11:25:11 pm
We already have directional lights.

And it was Yankes, not me.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: Bobwolf on August 07, 2018, 12:27:14 am
Directional light would add a lot to the ambiance. I would totally love night mission !

Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: Meridian on August 07, 2018, 12:36:19 am
Directional light would add a lot to the ambiance. I would totally love night mission !

It looks quite bad in my opinion.

But there are people who like it, so feel free to try it.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: Bobwolf on August 07, 2018, 02:58:25 am
Meridian, do you happen to have a video on your channel that show those directional lights in action ?
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: BTAxis on August 07, 2018, 08:52:24 am
I think spherical light sources are fine in most situations, I don't particularly feel that flashlights for instance should be directional. It would be cool if vehicles like cars and vans had directional lights to simulate their headlights though. X-Piratez has it on some of its vehicles if I recall.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 07, 2018, 07:43:28 pm
Hey guys!

I had an idea while I was playing the game and I'm not sure how much work it would require or even if it's possible.

There is a mission of concerned citizen where you need to recover some top secret files. Well how about this :

Once you research those files, they grant you access to some information about Strange life form. This could lead to another research unlocking a certain weapon type to allow you to kill or capture strange life form. (Simple example : Werewolf can be killed with silver...) And when you capture a strange life form, it could lead you to a special project. Live werewolf could grant you access to a better medikit since werewolf are suppose to regen wounds except from silver. Of course, the chance to get the Concerned citizen mission should be higher. And it could have rival agency agents appearing as the time goes on...

Strange life form mission should be very risky (more than they are already  8)) without the good info/tools. I'm not saying that it should be impossible but maybe very risky.

Also, if I take the werewolf example once again, maybe he could be very resilient to lots of damage type except silver ?

Just a thought !

Maybe? But it's quite a bit of work, so not soon; I have more pressing things to do (late game aliens, Reptoid arc).

And regarding directional lights: while a torch would be fine, putting it on a weapon would be a problem: which weapons should have it? All of them?

Also I have no idea how directional light would work vs. enemy detection (if you hold a light source, you are visible even if you aren't projecting the light towards the enemy), but that's beyond this thread.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: Bobwolf on August 07, 2018, 08:52:46 pm
It doesn't need to be on every weapon. Maybe only a couple to make them more appealing? Maybe some BlackOps ?

Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 08, 2018, 01:15:49 pm
It doesn't need to be on every weapon. Maybe only a couple to make them more appealing? Maybe some BlackOps ?

But if you can can put it on a BlackOps rifle, why not on an AK-47?
This is the question I will be asked 10 minutes after the release, and I won't have a satisfying answer.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: krautbernd on August 08, 2018, 01:59:28 pm
Maybe a shoulder lamp like in Aliens that could be turned on and off (if that's even possible)? As far as i can tell every armor (beach and other "special" outfits not withstanding) has shoulder slots.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: Solarius Scorch on August 08, 2018, 02:12:57 pm
Maybe a shoulder lamp like in Aliens that could be turned on and off (if that's even possible)? As far as i can tell every armor (beach and other "special" outfits not withstanding) has shoulder slots.

This can already be done... it's pretty much how vanilla works. Hell, even the original game worked like this back in 1994. OXC / OXCE+ only allows you to turn it off or change light intensity.
But of course this light is omnidirectional.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: BTAxis on August 08, 2018, 04:34:45 pm
This can already be done... it's pretty much how vanilla works. Hell, even the original game worked like this back in 1994. OXC / OXCE+ only allows you to turn it off or change light intensity.
But of course this light is omnidirectional.

Do you mean the "personal lighting" that you can toggle with L? I was under the impression that that was just a visual aid for night missions, and it doesn't actually illuminate anything.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: ohartenstein23 on August 08, 2018, 04:51:25 pm
Personal lighting works as actual lighting - even in vanilla you can stand a soldier next to an alien at night and the rest of your soldiers will be able to see them as if it were day.  The power of the personal lighting matters though as low-level light sources will only be cosmetic.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: Meridian on August 08, 2018, 04:52:45 pm
Do you mean the "personal lighting" that you can toggle with L? I was under the impression that that was just a visual aid for night missions, and it doesn't actually illuminate anything.

No, it definitely illuminates... if the light is powerful enough (in vanilla it is).
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: BTAxis on August 08, 2018, 05:14:18 pm
Well, the more you know.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: khade on August 09, 2018, 01:59:12 am
Could have an item that increases the personal light level, though honestly they already seem to be equipped with the setting equivalent to a good flashlight, the actual flashlights are big portable floodlights, I think.
Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: tkzv on September 12, 2018, 01:40:42 am
But if you can can put it on a BlackOps rifle, why not on an AK-47?
This is the question I will be asked 10 minutes after the release, and I won't have a satisfying answer.
Most military weapons have a rail to mount extra equipment, mainly sights: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaver_rail_mount Even the weapons without one can be equipped with one. The smallest weapon with a rail Wikipedia mentions is a Beretta 92FS pistol. So, it's safe to assume everything as big or bigger can carry a flashlight. I guess, that leaves snubnose pistol, light pistol, taser, flare gun, probably flamethrowers. Alien weapons don't have Earth standard rails (or maybe they do — the implications would be fun), but probably can be fitted with ones too.

Title: Re: Just a thought for the beginning
Post by: KZad Bhat on September 12, 2018, 08:54:03 am
The lights often equipped on those rails are usually fairly dim. They're usually modified small Mag-Lites. Powerful for their size, but still not the light that a big police flashlight/club can give . . . although what comes after the slash is really the main reason those flashlights are so huge. The main reason for them being so dim is battery size, such a small battery can put out bright light, for maybe an hour. Or, a lower lumen level for several hours. The reason they've gotten as bright as they have in the last 30 years is vast improvements in LED technology to create lights with much less heat wastage, and so can actually provide a higher lumen count at lower amperage because in LEDs light is not a byproduct of heating a filament.

Anyway, the light from a handgun mounted Tac Light is about the brightness of the personal lights already used in the game. Although, the Tac Lights you can mount to a decent rifle or shotgun can be a good bit brighter.