Messages

1

The X-Com Files / Re: Advice on armor

« on: October 13, 2024, 09:46:13 pm »

I found Juggernaut suits on everyone worked very well on my last playthrough for the invasion, but that was with only using Spartans due to the high turn units making the penalty of -20 TU mostly ignorable. I tried giving Juggernaut suits to Kyberos and they could barely do anything in comparison so it might be less useful without high TU transformations.

2

The X-Com Files / Re: Fireextinguisher

« on: September 28, 2024, 09:10:52 am »

No, the best weapon for silent takedowns is actually picrelated.

The civilians ended up dead from your terror mission, here's your OP bonus

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The X-Com Files / Re: Love Animal Combat statistics and a weird idea

« on: September 26, 2024, 10:11:24 pm »

One of my agents was killed by a sheep once! THAT is what is called "felt cheated"!

You could say you got Fleeced on that one

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The X-Com Files / Re: Any downsides to requesting Veteran agents? Also 1 handed gun + shield choice

« on: September 26, 2024, 05:59:08 pm »

The event scripts start triggering the next month once you you have researched it. The events where you get "claims" are randomized to occur throughout the month.

You also seem to still get the lower level ones alongside the highest available, so if you qualify for level 4 you can still the 1/2/3 alongside it. I sold off spare lower level ones once I had enough agents at the time but in hind sight I likely should have kept getting all of them as I got them to train their sanity up since I'm currently sitting on a few agents with almost zero sanity filling the final spots of the Avenger if I don't fill it with tanks

I don't know if they are retroactive though, if it gives you them for previous months or if its only from when you research it

5

The X-Com Files / Re: Love Animal Combat statistics and a weird idea

« on: September 26, 2024, 05:52:26 pm »

The first time I had a mission with a chicken and cow in it, I stunned both to take them home with us to make an XCOM Farm but I wasn't allowed to bring them back, I felt cheated and my agents hungered for fresh meat... I mean milk and eggs

6

The X-Com Files / Re: I Consider this to be Long War

« on: September 25, 2024, 05:12:58 pm »

I never did get around to playing Long War, or the Enemy Within modes, I heard they are fun but was put off from things like the Meld recovery being timed etc. Might try out the expansion and mods for it next time I play it as everyone says they are good.

Apocalype is a game I really wish I could get into but the clay-like aliens and graphical style and political game of the city factions feels to different from the XCOM I'm used to, mixed with not liking the real time nature of games like that and Fallout Tactics makes it a hard sell, I know you dont "need" to play the real time mode but the turn based is less flushed out as a result. Hopefully when the open source version I heard mentioned gets done all the changes to it will make it easier to get into

[Spoiler]

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The X-Com Files / Re: Unique Tactics

« on: September 25, 2024, 05:04:05 pm »

Spartan turn units really ended up changing how I played, probably for the worst, as now I end up clearing missions in a couple of turns being able to clear half the map with ease rather than needing to carefully move up a little at a time, its less engaging at this point but it does make for some funny moments when thinking of turns in real time.

Spoiler:

I just did the UAC final mission in 3 turns, 1 turn per stage due to being able to reach the lift and code book in the first turn, meaning my agents effectively landed outside their base then flew away again while setting it to explode in less than a minute, no idea how their security is going to explain that

Laser sectopods (to battle alien sectopods' vulnerability). Also, minigun tanks are probably the best early, not laser ones.

Miniguns are a weapon I never really tried due to their weight and prefering single shots, it is something I should try use next time as they are fun

8

The X-Com Files / Re: Unique Tactics

« on: September 25, 2024, 02:10:43 pm »

Which Sectopods do people choose if any? I have reached the point of making some but am unsure which to pick. I think I'd want to go with laser due to quicker attacks over Plasma and not needing ammo like the Gauss / Mass Driver / Minigun, even though putting a minigun on a Sectopod is a fun way to insult the aliens

This is a fun thread.

Technically it's not the highest damage, the AI doesn't do any damage calculation for this. Instead they use the "attraction" attribute on items, and the Rocket Launcher, like many heavy weapons, happens to have this set very high (24).

Ah thanks for clearing that up, I knew they somehow had to be coded for it due to how often it happened but didn't know there was an attraction attribute

9

The X-Com Files / Re: Best usage for early alien alloys?

« on: September 24, 2024, 07:11:17 am »

I personally used mine for two laser tanks and cyber armor. If you prioritise melee then Tritanium Swords or the knives / kukri might be good.

As mentioned above cyber armor is probably the best mid-game armor and worth delaying for as the requirements aren't much more than Personal Armor, I have no idea how you are supposed to reliably get Synthmuscles for the other mid-game armors outside of osiron boxes so I never got to use the Synthsuits or Assault Suits so I just kept to Cyber Armor before Flying Armor / salvaged stuff like Juggernaut

I wouldn't recommend Tritanium ammo, theres barely enough to go around prior to the invasion to make the improved lab and give everyone armor yet alone spend it on consumable ammo. Which is a shame as I remember loving the Asuka 4000 prior to turbolasers the first time I played but the harder to get Tritanium Foundry makes weapons like that impractical

10

The X-Com Files / Re: Unique Tactics

« on: September 17, 2024, 11:11:18 pm »

Just used this one, stunning a civilian with KO grenade because he's surrounded by enemies that you couldn't kill on this round because monsters tend to ignore sleeping civilians

After having civilians go to my Skyranger item pile and pick up the rocket launcher and fire it towards my agents, I have been conditioned to always knock out every civilian if I can waste the turn to do so otherwise I need to leave someone back at the start to guard the items. I'm guessing they are coded to pick up the most damaging weapon as they ALWAYS go for the Rocket Launcher if I have one on the craft, they are the most dangerous part of terror missions as you only need one to sneak behind you to ruin your day

Not sure if it counts as a tactic or just unorthodox weapons for their type, but there are some weapons that work surprisingly well in niches their type isn't designed for. At the start of the game automatic rifles like the AK-47 make for good sniper rifles maybe even better than the hunting rifle, the BlackOps Auto-Sniper Rifle works surprisngly well as a close range weapon for caves etc. as the lower accuracy at that range is still higher than most weapons on good agents. And recently I learned the Sonic Shotgun makes for a surprisingly efficient mid to long range rifle even in buckshot mode

Melee vs aliens is also a ridiculously effective tactic especially in the very early game, a landed UFO before Promotion 1-2 would be practically impossible due to limited weapons if it wasn't for the basic combat knife being able to 1-2 shot Sectoids and if they do get a reaction fire off / walk next to you in their turn you have a reasonable chance of CQCing them.

11

The X-Com Files / Re: Unique Tactics

« on: September 16, 2024, 09:55:01 pm »

and rushing crazy Hassan for lmgs is nice too,

If not wanting to use savescum mode to change whats in the boxes you open you can always buy some "cheap" ramshackle weapon boxes from him and use them to cycle whats in the next important box you open, keeping ammo boxes around for it is much cheaper though, it can help if you need an alien multitool or alloy welder or more alenium shards from Osiron boxes but the game is refusing to give you any. Similarly for changing the bonus topics you learn from research if not wanting to use savescum mode you can add +1 extra current research to change the bonus topic, both take way more effort and time than just using savescum mode but is a good way to do it "legitimately"

Depending on the craft camping near or around it can be useful, the Van is the earliest useful cover vehicle since being on the other side counts as tall cover so the enemy has to come around to see you, effectively bringing your own wall to the mission, the Skyraider has its sidedoors to open and shoot from without leaving the craft, the Kitsune has kneeling at the sides of the ramps to shoot anything that tries getting close enough to see you as well as the interior door which if you bring only a few agents to the mission can be a good reaction fire hiding spot, and Lightning has the lifts that can give you the same free sightlines as parking a car in the middle of the map but without the huge downsides of being a sitting duck

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The X-Com Files / Re: Unique Tactics

« on: September 16, 2024, 11:22:57 am »

My favourite tactic is using a tank to literally tank, in the base game they usually aren't expected to survive more than a few hits so you need to treat them carefully, but against most cults recklessly parking a laser tank in the middle of open terrain and letting the enemies shoot it hundreds of times while barely denting the paintwork never gets old, The Colecanth also bounces Sonic weapons off it making the supposedly harder things easier with the main threats being the early Gillmen and melee Deep Ones

Dogs barking at 1 tile wide chokeholds is sometimes even more effective than reaction killing, while you dont get to shoot every enemy that comes through having them all stuck behind their friend and unable to move up is useful in its own way

My favourite cheese is bringing flying suits to the late Zombie missions, making 90% of the enemies harmless and requiring the only dangerous ones to land direct hits rather than getting splash damage, its fitting payback for all the pain the earlier zombie missions can be

13

The X-Com Files / Re: Base on Easter Island?

« on: September 16, 2024, 05:57:19 am »

Some island terror sites like Easter Island and Falkland Island (even though the island itself exists there isn't a map marker for it) aren't present in the original game and were added in Terror From the Deep, I just checked and you can place a TFTD base directly on top of Easter Island if you want your base there, but as a result its sadly counted as underwater. It would have been a cool start location for a challenge run though due to Easter Island's conspiracy flavour

14

The X-Com Files / Re: Land Rover cost

« on: September 16, 2024, 02:50:11 am »

The Hybrids must have infiltrated the world's car rental companies to leech money from XCOM

15

The X-Com Files / Re: Help with Troop Ship mission w/ 15+ Cyberdiscs

« on: September 15, 2024, 12:45:01 pm »

Time to rush those laser weapons!  I'd like to clear out some stuff I've been hoarding; is any of the following worth keeping around at this point?

• Taser Cannon
• Toxigun
• Heavy / Auto Canon
• Small Launcher (for the EMP Minibombs?)
• Sonic Blasta Rifle
• Dagon's Staff / Staff of Heart Grip
• Ancient Katana, Tritanium Sword
• BlackOps Auto-Sniper Rifle
• UAC Heavy Nailgun (will I find better stuff before doing Space missions?)

Taser Cannon is very useful for underwater missions until you get proper Sonic weapons, it can reliably 1-2 shot most enemies and if its a small mission they tend to stay down for it but you might need to keep an eye on them for the longer missions. They are also good for capturing Hybrid drones especially the Large ones as 2x2 enemies can't wake up so they are out for the mission

Toxigun depends on how soon you pick up Alien Gardens to make the ammo, they look comparable to Sonic Shotguns

Heavy Cannon and Auto-Cannon's buckshot looks appealing for zombies if older shotguns aren't doing the job anymore if you need to fight them close, but its expensive and bulky so probably not worth it for that single use case

Small Launcher I'd recommend keeping at least until you research it, sadly you need a stun bomb to actually manufacture it and you are likely to get another small launcher when you loot a stun bomb, but you might find time to research the first part in advance

Dagons Staff doesn't have a sanity drain so could make for a good training weapon without excess sanity loss

I use the Ancient Katana for Dreams, Tritanium Blades are amazing they might even be superior to Plasma blades due to Cutting damage being resisted less than Plasma

BlackOps Auto-Sniper rifle has very cheap ammunition for its damage, if you are using laser weapons that require ammo they would be best to use on less difficult missions to conserve the more valuable laser ammo. Once you get to Turbolasers you can replace them for good

The UAC Heavy Nailgun might have a niche use due to its cutting type damage, but otherwise UAC weapons don't seem worth keeping, I doubt you would reach space missions before getting turbolasers unless incredibly unlucky on the bonus topic, (I just cycled it until I got it)