Messages

1

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - N9.7.7 12-Sep-2024 Second Coming

« on: November 15, 2024, 09:34:20 pm »

Yeah they are useless unless you can predict where you might use some of their big crew amount, with the unit being able to get there in time.

I tried to make Expedition and Convoy work in my current campaign but they were laughable. I even splurged on 4x geckos, but they didn't get any use.
Bus->Little->Angry->"Snake"->Jetbike (costs a lot to buy, but range + cheap to clear cannon fodder with cannon instead of missiles) makes sense

Blowfish and Necroplanes are instantly obsolete.

2

XPiratez / Re: Negative score despite having a Killer month.

« on: November 15, 2024, 09:22:00 pm »

Prioritize hiring brainers. To do this sell corridor and maybe even armored vault (build extra burrow if needed to keep facilities connected), then prioritize captures to get more money. Sell all but 1 nurse and almost all equipment that isn't instantly necessary. Like all but 1 hellerium, small engines, plastasteel... Likely turn that 1 gal which you are soon going to get into a brainer instead of extra soldier...
Because brainers pay themselves in infamy points aka money. It's so important that you usually want to aim almost directly towards the next buildings allowing more brainers. Personal labs +4, Sickbay +1 (requires 10 Medical Supplies to build)...

Get to Little bird fast, yes. But there should be plenty of landings in the first 6 months too, I'm sure experienced player could survive without shooting down any. Spike missiles are also quite expensive, so sticking with 14/20 mms would be more economical. Sometimes you might want to send the airbus to beyond your radar range to scout if you see ufo tracks leading towards some place. You might find an extra landed harvester or similar (but you might also find plenty of too difficult landings).

Pump out x-grog and when you get apples research chateau de mort and keep making and selling all of it. 100 runts get 1 million profit per month if you have enough apples to do so continually.

If you can predict not needing to build some 2x2 squares in the next 3 months, plantation is profitable there.

The game does indeed include several traps which you only find out later and chafe (how far behind in research to get to something, then get surprised how much of certain items is required to build it besides money).

3

XPZ Strategy/Tactics / Re: Extended Piratez general FAQ/Strategy Guide

« on: January 19, 2023, 05:38:39 pm »

If you've looked for some hands-on advice, here's an ongoing channel with mission specific guides. N2 version, so very recent.
https://www.youtube.com/@potatogaming7787/videos

These seem to be covered at the moment:
Undersea Passage
UAC Vault
Ninja Outpost
Taberna del Diablo
Mage Tower
Abandoned Spaceship
Organ Grinder
Infamy score / charts
...

4

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - v.N3 20-Dec-2022 Clear Skies

« on: January 06, 2023, 09:53:54 pm »

Are you talking about raid space freighters? Cuz u need spaceman for that as well.

If I've understood right, Any Spaceman requirement would fulfill with any of these:
Guild Spaceman · Guild Space Technician · Belter · Guild Ship Officer · Guild Navigator
https://baturinsky.com/xpedia/##STR_SPACEMAN_PLUS
So maybe you'll meet Guild Nav or Guild SO easier?

5

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - v.N3 20-Dec-2022 Clear Skies

« on: January 02, 2023, 02:14:36 am »

When does captain's log #2 normally pop? I'm looking at the end of 2602 rn and getting a little nervous.

Do you meet the requirements? These probably still apply.
https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,5345.msg143792.html#msg143792

6

XPiratez / Re: A thread for little questions

« on: December 21, 2022, 12:00:05 pm »

What Captain Personality matches with the Golden Codex choice?

Dumbass, Lazy-Ass and Jackass Captain all have Idea: Pride like Gold.
https://baturinsky.com/xpedia/##STR_CAPTAIN_GOLD

7

XPZ Strategy/Tactics / Re: Struggling in a few areas. Research, Air, Score.

« on: September 01, 2022, 10:19:45 am »

I agree that Plantation in the first base is a waste of space, since it breaks even in 3 months from placing. You should have better use for that space during that time (1->3 extractors and soon 1 workshop and the crew quarters for them). In every other base initially they can be useful.

For example plantation to every side of the newly placed lift and burrow in one direction, then radar next to the burrow if you want eyes. More plantations everywhere else. It will take several months for you to afford to transition plant tile to a hangar or factory, so they are guaranteed to be profitable. Though you can do runts too, with a little more initial work.

8

XPZ Strategy/Tactics / Re: Struggling in a few areas. Research, Air, Score.

« on: August 31, 2022, 09:00:59 pm »

You are missing only Apple research for Chateau.
But only 7 brainers in May 24th... not good (still learning ofc). For example you could've had 4 already on day one by selling the corridors.
You could've sold captured soldiers and other stuff early to get 200k occasionally for extra brainers (at the start of each month), since you can't really research more than 3-5 in reasonable time anyway. Currently you have 1.4 million worth of gold bars, which should've been invested a long time ago for brainers and another base (aka more plantations). Hellerium, Plastasteel and Superconductives for 600k more since you've already built Personal Labs (don't need more SC wire soon after that).

Go to the Fence or Research screen and middle mouse click the items to see their research tree.
For example take a look at the Highwayman. Researching it is currently gating two mission types: !Highway House! and !Bandit Business!. You want to prioritize more mission types so you can get them starting next month instead of just looking at flying ufos you can't catch. Very fast Fugitive and Hideout Search order researches are on the other hand gating Doctor X storyline missions.
Gymnastics, Church Neophyte and Church Priest are gating Neophyte Bootcamp...

Just take a look at everything's tech trees. Doing so you should come to the realization why it's not the best use of your time to devote 2/7 of your researchers to Manstopper and Holdout pistol at this point. They don't gate anything, so you are only wasting your time getting similar items. Your Airbus is loaded to the brim. Too much variety and excess amounts like 40 vodka.
You also have ton of items there which haven't been researched, so you have to keep an eye on whether they are needed for research instead of being used. Surplus amounts can be used in a pinch even if you aren't able to replace them.

If you want to see where your radar can't, take a look at the charts. Shipping activity in regions shows that there's been 2-3k worth of activity in Central Asia last month. So if you want to be surprised, fly your Airbus to western China (but keep a save first). If you anchor there for a few hours, you might be surprised by what's between Forbidden Caves and Gardens of Delight.

Here's an example video which seems to have 8 brainers by Feb 15th.
https://youtu.be/hlg4AYfubDw?t=7548

9

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - N1 29-Apr-2022 Every Day Is Caturday

« on: August 21, 2022, 09:26:21 pm »

Yeah, the roving bands are certainly unreachable. I think getting even to 5k probably requires going to that first Mutant Pogrom and taking few hundred positive from that. 2.5-3k is probably more reasonable good result.

Most common mission in the first 2nd months seems to be tthe Nurse bus of 4-5. That can feature 3-4 times. Likely just 1 temple raid, 1 shambler hunt, 1 academy outpost (the one with the first medic sighting), maybe mining ship if lucky. Then the 3rd month can have just about anything, even multiple reticulan landings.

10

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - N1 29-Apr-2022 Every Day Is Caturday

« on: August 21, 2022, 07:49:55 pm »

Bro, you get (on average) 4.3 castaways in the first month (not including events).

Variance can be really high. For example I took a look at my new campaign: 1 castaway gal (though +1 hero too) in the first two months. Turan start.
Though I can attest that 3-4 within 2 months feels far more common result (previous start in Ghost Gates produced 3 or 4). I've had a three 2-3 month game starts with the current version trying to see how differently the early game could be played. Currently I'm of the opinion that I won't be gunning for set date 2 base in the next starts. Getting harvester or some other 1st major goals feels similarly interesting (or personal labs, 12+1 initial brainers is trivial already so getting it can be minmaxed without much effort).

11

XPiratez / Re: A thread for little questions

« on: August 12, 2022, 03:29:01 pm »

It probably needs just the UFO files (or TFTD), not both.

The readme hasn't been thoroughly updated in years since it still contains reference to OpenXcomExPlus39.exe (currently OpenXcomEx.exe). The current version info at the top of the file and changelogs at the bottom are though.

Copy files from your original "UFO: Enemy Unknown"/"X-Com: UFO Defense" folder to the "OpenXcom_XPiratez/UFO" folder.

I'm not sure about the The Data Patch mentioned here how the current OXCE installer covers it.
https://openxcom.org/downloads-extras/

12

XPiratez / Re: A thread for little questions

« on: July 28, 2022, 06:06:08 pm »

I'm trying to hit my school graduation tech, but it's locked behind captains log #2 (needed for diplomacy) how do i get captains log 2?

This probably still applies:

STR_CAPTAINS_LOG_01: true
       STR_PERSUASION: true
       STR_SAT_NETWORK: true
       STR_PIRATEZ_HIERARCHY: true
       STR_CHRONICLES_001: true
       STR_NO_CIVILIAN_TRAFFIC: true
       STR_CONTACT_SMUGGLERS: true
       STR_BIKINI_PRODUCTION: true
       STR_MEIDO_OUTFIT: true
       STR_ONSEN: true
       STR_PLOTTING: true

Captains log 1
persuasion
earth's sattelite network
the social heirarchy
pirate traditions
*no targetting civilians*
contact smugglers
bikini production
maid outfit
onsen
plotting

13

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

« on: February 15, 2022, 05:36:51 pm »

Gang War crashes when loading into the mission.
Repeatable, save included. Newest version, save not transferred from previous version.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oD4t6hG3qVqfnwRiFbBN90XbnRGMiTCI/view?usp=sharing
(save)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ArU7IQYAX7LTQUCTR055JjrETxmosz_A/view?usp=sharing
(log)

14

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - M2 28-Sep-2021 Shadow Robots and Immortal Amazons

« on: September 28, 2021, 11:01:36 pm »

Could you be so kind to write a few words about what's new?

Moddb description seems to have the changelog:

v.M2 28-Sep-2021 Shadow Robots and Immortal Amazons
- OXCE upgrade to 7.1 29-Sep-2021
- Fix: Condemnations applied more properly (due to new OXCE)
- Fix: Ninja Jetfighter's shield removed
- New Mission: Halls of Fear
- New Enemy Units: Wraith Guard, Female Wraith versions (x2), Demon Warden
- New Craft: Big Bird
- New Soldiers: Destroid (paperdoll by Brain, postproduction by me, based on XOPS work), Xenforcer (gfx by Brain)
- New Armors: Minx (Gray only), Hermit (Green only), Crystalsinger (Bugeye; 3 ver.: normal, sea, shadowrealms; based on gfx by The Martian); Nightgown (SHA version), Hyena Rider (2x2)
- New Weapons: Shadowrealms Weapons (x2), 14mm Antitank Rifle, Accursed Swill, Gray Spellbook (11 spells), Plasma Tommy
- New Features: Lost Souls/Offerings to Demon Gods; Gifts of Golden Prince/Harems/Brides; Zombification/Zombie Revival; Handling Slime/SDD/Poltergeist (codex-dependant)
- New Condemnations: Traditional, Shellshocked, Atomic, Radical, Executioner, Thorny, Stabber, Femme Fatale, Hammerer
- New misc mapblocks (x3)
- Ninja bases activity reduced by 20%, Outposts by 33%; Ninja bases grow a bit slower
- Red-Eyed Brat's patience +1 month
- Accuracy on light craft cannons of all types up to +15%. Damage per shot reduced to compensate.
- Big craft guns rebalanced. Some got extra damage for lower acc. Laser nerf. Railgun & Plasma buff
- Jellyfish cannot be detected by enemies now
- Piranha can mount 2 weapons, but no armor, crew cap 2 -> 1, map updated
- Little Bird +missile slot
- Underwater non-scuba outfits fixed/updated suffocation-wise
- During Hideout Defenses, 15% for each Gal to be out of her uniform (other races unaffected)
- YET ANOTHER FLAG/PIPES/GUITAR REWORK
- More lore & events
- Tweaks
- Minor fixes, lots of them

https://www.moddb.com/mods/x-piratez/downloads/dioxine-xpiratez-m2-shadow-robots-and-immortal-amazons#downloadsform

15

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - M1 29-Aug-2021 Violent Laser Battle (...)

« on: September 24, 2021, 10:34:44 pm »

What do you think about adding new aircraft that does not require hangars and is called STORAGE UNIT where you can put items reserved for base attacks or any other cases to not to be accidentally sold and generally to not clutter up FENCE YER STUFF screen?

If such a thing is needed, it probably would be more elegant to just extend the hiding feature from the Black Market (buy tab). You can try it there, right mouse click hides after which those rows are only seen if you select the hidden category from the draw down box.