Messages

1

The X-Com Files / Re: Bugs, crashes, typos & bad taste

« on: March 11, 2024, 01:45:17 pm »

Nice, thanks for the quick answer.

In case it happens again I will just desactivate Brutal AI then.

2

The X-Com Files / Re: Bugs, crashes, typos & bad taste

« on: March 11, 2024, 12:04:26 pm »

Hey guys,

Just encountered my first crash after playing for at least 20 hours. I am actually kinda impressed by the stability of OXCE.

The crash occur when I'm on a Strange Life Forme Mission fighting Snakes. At some point during the Snakes' first turn the game crash with an error message. I tried loading the save made just before the fight starts 3 times (both manual save and auto) and I have the same crash every time. I got around the problem by leaving the mission so it's no big deal but I'm still curious to know what happened

I attached my save and the log to this message.

Thanks for your help !

3

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: March 06, 2024, 02:07:10 pm »

Just wanted to say that after a rough start, I followed some advice and learnt the mod better and I'm having an incredible time with XCF + Brutal AI. It might be my best XCOM experience yet and I am a long term fan. Once I launch it I just can't put it down, it is really a great video game.

Thanks everyone involved in the process !

4

Brutal AI / Re: Brutal-OXCE 8.3.0

« on: March 06, 2024, 02:04:39 pm »

Unless you're playing a modified XCF, that's not a problem. The zombies with aggression: 2 are Chryssalid spawns and not present on normal missions. All the other 'regular' zombies are leeroys, the only exception are the intact Zombie Troopers - who have weapons. Ghouls and other 'evolved' forms are not leeroys, but they're also armed or otherwise dangerous without charging.
It's not an option you can check, it's a whole algorithm finetuned in the rulesets. XCF comes with it out of the box, but some parameters might need tweaking if the current implementation is not to your liking. The biggest roadblock to not getting surrenders is the presence of non-surrendering units: robots, higher ranks, etc.

There is also bug-hunt mode, which is also in XCF by default. Usually the mission is long over before it kicks in, though.

Ok thanks, I will just continue to switch Agression 2 on Zombies mission and it's perfectly fine.

Yeah Bug Hunt kicks in when the only guy left standing is slow and melee equiped. He realise he has no chance and stay in hiding. Quite smartly actually.

By the way, I also realized why there was some confusion about Agression level. I was using an outdated version of Brutal AI... Now it makes much more sens why you were speaking about Agression 3 and such. Sorry I'm dumb. Maybe those weird things I was seeing will disapear now !

Anyway, I changed some settings, tweak some files and I am now having an absolute blast playing XCF with Brutal AI. Thanks everyone !

5

Brutal AI / Re: Brutal-OXCE 8.3.0

« on: March 06, 2024, 10:43:05 am »

Yes. That's exactly what "Aggression-Mode for Brutal-AI" setting "1" is there for. It uses the units aggression as per the *.rul file to determine which behavior to apply.

Oh thanks ! I think that might be the problem. When I look into the .rul files for certain Zombies units, some have LeeroyJenkins and some don't, some have agression 9 and some 2...

I will check if changing these value and sticking with Agression setting 1 work, for now i'm setting Agression 2 when facing zombies.

By the way, on mod.io we can read this about the mod :

"Aggressiveness-mode" => This replaces the old "Inherit aggression"-toggle and has a total of three options for now:
0> Baseline Aggressivness.
1> Multiplied with unit-aggression.
2> Multiplied with unit-aggression and take Leeroy-flag into account.

I read this as "1 and 2 are the same for units without the Leeroy Flag, only Leeroy-Flagged units will act crazy" but in your answer few posts earlier you say ;

Aggression 3 and above skips all of the other steps between attacking and walking towards the supposed position of the enemy. If they can attack, they will. If not, they will close in.

Wich seem to imply that Agression 3 (or 2 there is only 0, 1, 2) affect every single unit regardless of flag.

Which is true then ?

Regarding killing the last alien. I think someone introduced surrender option making AI surrender when they are overwhelmed. I think this should solve the long ending problem without tweaking AI algorithms.

I think I have this option checked, and It works sometimes but not always. Must depends on ennemy moral.

6

Brutal AI / Re: Brutal-OXCE 8.3.0

« on: March 05, 2024, 12:22:36 pm »

Let me describe how exactly the AI works and explain why this causes some units to behave in a non-immerserive manner.

Interesting, thanks for your explanation.

Would it be possible then to adapt those Agression settings according to each unit type ? It would be great for immersion purposes to have differents ennemy having wildly different comportments.
Zombies : Agression 3, just running at you blindly
Counter-Terror Force : Agression 0, making being overly cautious with cover

I guess thats more something for the modder to do (setting each unit individual tags) but, as far as you know, is it possible to have different unit have differents AI, sometimes even in the same battle ?

7

Brutal AI / Re: Brutal-OXCE 8.3.0

« on: March 04, 2024, 09:36:05 pm »

Sorry for the double post but I came across a weird comportment from the AI.

In two instances I was fighting about zombies and they actively ran away from me.

In one battle one Fat Zombie just ran away for ever until i caught up with him and in another every zombies I came across ran away and then turned back to attack my guys.

Is this supposed to be normal ? It did not feel very zombie-like.

I tried with Agression 0 and 1 and I did not see any difference.

edit : I just had a Zombie Infestation. Every zombie immediately ran away toward the edge of the map despite my guys shooting at them. They even ignored civilians standing around. The worst offenders are the Zombies in white shirt. They never turn back to fight and keep running toward the edge until killed.

You can see on the screenshot below, the zombies hid here for the whole battle, and if they sensed an agent nearny the would attack him and go back into their little hiding place. When attacked from above they just stood there getting shot at.

It actually kind of worked for them but it really did not feel like fighting zombies. I fought a spider swarn just earlier that behaved much more like zombies actually.

8

The X-Com Files / Re: Ways to reduce the tediousness

« on: March 04, 2024, 03:19:35 pm »

X Cult Apprehension missions stop once you have researched X Cult Network, i.e., very early on (depending on RNG and research priorities usually in 3-6 months). You're likely doing something wrong if these really trouble you that much especially in the long term.

Oh yeah I definitely fucked up the research path. You should have seen my 4 agents in a van with Kevlar vest and shotguns facing up againt the first UFO shot down by the army. A lot of burnt bodies.

I played with the research tree a little bit and started a new game with this knowledge. I bt it's going to be much better.

This is all from the top of my head but
use notepad++ go into the rule set folder it is called alienDeployments (or something like that)
press CTRL + F TO OPEN search
type in STR_ALERT_CULT_APPREHENSION
from there you will find despawnPenalty: 150 replace with zero
find next on the bar repeat steps for all the cults

Thanks man, will do !

9

Brutal AI / Re: Brutal-OXCE 8.3.0

« on: March 04, 2024, 02:55:18 pm »

Thanks for the feedback!

You are welcome and thanks for your work ! AI is often neglected in games and the one you created feels alive and dynamic. I'm sure there are ways to exploit it but for a normal player like me it just feels great.

Earlier today I had a group of three EXALT charges me gun blazing simulteanously after shooting from cover and destroyed  my guys that tried to charge the building. It was awesome.

I will try the Agression 1 setting and removing omniscience and see the results.

I actually think the last guy camping in a room could be solved by enforcing more the surrender rules. Sometime the last guy surrends and it's great but often time it never happens. I also would love to not receive a grenade under my agent feets from the other side of the map but alas that has nothing to do with your great mod.

Thanks for your answer !

10

The X-Com Files / Re: Ways to reduce the tediousness

« on: March 04, 2024, 09:27:47 am »

I personally tweak the cult apprehensions missions de spawn penalty to 0 I get sick of them. Restarted this mod so much and all they are is me rushing into a dark corner throwing x2 flares and skipping turns till they die to over watch. A faster way to cut them off sooner would be great.

I might do just that, where can I tweak this value ?

Even in lore, I see the Cult Apprehension mission as a way to gain intel, there is no imminent threat. Once I've enough low rankings cultists in my jails I can skip some without the world falling appart.

11

The X-Com Files / Re: Ways to reduce the tediousness

« on: March 03, 2024, 07:55:48 pm »

I started using the command when I notice there is only one guy hiding in a corner. It actually dramatically accelerated my playtime. Thanks !

Yeah I've read about FMP but I'm just so in love with Xcom Files setting !

12

Brutal AI / Re: Brutal-OXCE 8.3.0

« on: March 03, 2024, 07:54:08 pm »

I'm currently playing XCOM Files with Brutal AI and I'm having a blast. I can see the opposition making very cool moves like peeking out, shooting a few rounds then going back to cover. Great stuff.

However, in most of the mission there is always one little fucker, often with only a melee weapon or a monster, that go into a corner and just wait here until I find him. I tried to activate Omniscience for th AI, in the hope that if this last guy knew were my troops were he would go toward them but no he just stay in his corner.

I guess this make sense tactically for him, if all my friends just got killed by some SWAT team and I just had an axe I would also hid behind my bed but it is becoming very tiresome. I basically had to alway kill this last guy with the command console or I lose too much time. But I dont like that.

Did I fuck up somewhere in installing or setting up the mod ? Is this a normal move for the AI ? Are there any solutions ?

Thanks !

13

The X-Com Files / Re: Ways to reduce the tediousness

« on: March 03, 2024, 11:22:58 am »

Maybe you are not doing the right things if this feels repetitive?

That's actually completely possible, I may have taken wrong research path which artificially lenghten the early game lenght. I will look into that.

I'd also be a bit cautious about skipping missions.

Ok too bad, I had some hope of stopping doing low level cultists missions once my jail were full.

Yeah, the megamods are really not meant to be played in one sitting. Or one month, even.

There is only a mod to make XCF even longer. I guess so far the in-game tools have sufficed for mission grind. Or perhaps people just stop playing at some point.

You are right and that is something I see constantly when reading/speaking about XCOM mega mods. Players love them to death (because they are awesome) but they rarely finish them.

I honestly think there is a place for a XCOM Files-lite (or X-Piratez-lite for that matter) that allows to experience the game in a reasonable time frame. It also feels better (imo) to play in Ironman when you know a lost run won't make you lose 200 hours.

14

The X-Com Files / Ways to reduce the tediousness

« on: March 03, 2024, 12:59:12 am »

Hey everyone,

I recently playing X-COM Files and I love it. The setting and freedom possibly make this my favorite game ever in theory.

In practice I already start to fear the grind. At some point I'm just bored of doing the same fights against cultists over and over again, especially when I have to lose so much time looking for them hiding in a closet.

It sucks because I genuinely enjoy all the love that went into making this mod and all there is to discover.

Is there a setting or a submod that "shorten" the campaign by reducing the number of missions that pop and quickening the progression for instance ? I actually think this could be doable pretty easily by editing the config files but I don't want to go into that blind and fuck up the balance completely.

 Or any options to skip missions I really dont want to do for the 50th time (in Xenonauts you could bomb UFO for instance) ?

I know this long grind is part of the charm of such a mega mod but I would very much like to find a way to enjoy it without it feeling like a chore.