Messages

1

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 0.9.9d: Samael's Passage

« on: July 16, 2019, 11:27:35 pm »

Sorry I'm kinda absent lately, my parents are moving and I don't have time for much right now, because I'm hauling stuff like a Settlers/Rimworld character. Or assembling furniture. This will last until the end of this week, after which I will be back in action.

Well, if re-training a captured Bloodhound isn't an option, then growing one should suffice. It probably will require kidnapping Syndicate scientists to interrogate them for info, so it will likely take a while to get to that, possibly until the Syndicate is permanently destroyed by the time your tech is advanced enough to do that.

That's more like it.

By the way, just to know: When should the next update be done? Next month or so?

Hard to say. I want the next version to be 1.0 (finally), which means a lot more work than usual. But I'm on it.

Can we hope to see a mortar in the game?

Yeah, it's planned.

Great work with the mod. I'm replaying from the beginning. Those weapon boxes really help in the beginning year.

Thanks for the kind words!

The rat unit is so much less useful than dogs. I'm not talking about the stats although armor for the animals don't measure up late. No, my frustration is training Reaction stats. Dog soldiers gain reaction stats for Bark weapon and for Bite weapon trains both Melee and Reaction. The highest stat Rat soldiers can utilize (Reaction) is much harder to train than everything else. It requires putting your Rat right up to an enemy and dangerously take a risk, either your rat gets killed quick or you get to pathetically bite back. The Rat seems to be even more specialized as a low HP scout than Dogs are, but it's so much harder to keep them alive than dogs to reach that potential. Please change Giant Rat Bite train both Reaction and Melee like Dog Bite does. Manufacturing armor for rats like we can for dogs would make them easier to keep alive as well.
My opinion for both Rat and Dog soldiers is they cannot run as fast as late-game soldiers. That probably has to do with the Energy refill formula. It looks at current health and the animals just don't have that much to begin with. Max health soldiers don't have as high stamina capacity but playing it feels they regain them at a faster pace; and that reduces the satisfaction of running the animal scouts; although that's just at the late stage with superhuman soldiers.

Hmm. Feels fine in general, but you're right, late game humans sort of catch up with animals, rending them obsolete.
I don't know how to deal with this without adding special armour for animals, but 1) it's rather controversial, 2) I need sprites.

Since playing this mod I have always liked using Flashlights better than Flares. Electro-Flares are less expensive but less powerful. Even with Flashlights being heavier, thus cannot be thrown as far, their light strength and their melee ability appeals to me more. So finding Shogg Lanterns worked like better flares and that later on I could buy Shogg tech like ships and weapons; I was disappointed I couldn't buy them. Looking in the Items and Research Rulesets I found the problem. Items lists being able to buy them when you can buy all the other weapons and has the sell price but without the costBuy tag it will never be available.

You're right! It's a bug, sorry.
Just add

Code: [Select]

    costBuy: 10000
to the item entry.

How about giving the single shot grenade launcher a tear gas that stuns over time? Or a rubber shell that stuns and wounds slightly? The M-79 irl had rubber rounds and tear gas that are used which I believe the grenade launcher in this mod is.

I'm not sure how to model this. Could you suggest some formula?

2

The X-Com Files / Re: The Thing arc

« on: July 16, 2019, 01:29:21 pm »

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.

3

Released Mods / Re: [COMPILATION] Final Mod Pack (FMP)

« on: July 16, 2019, 01:13:38 pm »

Sadly, extinguishers require OXCE, so it's a no-no for a vanilla mod like FMP.
Better shotgun shells are possible, but I need to think about it and check what you can do with the vanilla engine. But there are toxiguns.
I'll see about the Scatter Laser.

As for the planned content:
- New alien race, the Chaser (from Xenonauts). An early race (equivalent to Sectoids and Floaters), very fast and somewhat armoured, but squishy inside. They will be accompanied by Celatids.
- Muton terror units overhaul. Since Celatids are now with Chasers and Silacoids with Chtonites, Mutons need new terror units. They will have Obliterators (Cyberdiscs on crack - in fact they already do, but I have better sprites for them and will generally do some review of them) and female commandos with funky weapons (like thrown discs of doom).

4

Released Mods / Re: [COMPILATION] Final Mod Pack (FMP)

« on: July 15, 2019, 01:11:21 pm »

Thank you for the report, these indeed sound like bugs. I will address them.
Regarding dofs: their low morale is mostly to simulate being distracted (they're dogs after all) rather than afraid; this is why their sniffing action damages morale as they get restless. It's not a perfect implementation, but I don't think it can be made better.
As for the MG sound, which file do you propose?

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OpenXcom Extended / Re: [Suggestion] Interrupting ongoing Alien Mission with research trigger

« on: July 15, 2019, 12:53:14 pm »

Many thanks for adding this, Meridian!

6

OpenXcom Extended / Re: [Suggestion] Pop-up events

« on: July 14, 2019, 09:25:19 pm »

Respecting research properties would be neat, as it's a decent tool for modding fuckery and also easily avoided if so desired.
But what's really interesting is the option to run events by region. After all, "A group of Chaos cultists in STR_SOUTH_AMERICA" sounds much more interesting than "A group of Chaos cultists in buggerall on Earth".

7

OpenXcom Extended / Re: [Suggestion] Interrupting ongoing Alien Mission with research trigger

« on: July 14, 2019, 02:42:02 pm »

I agree about the UFOs, but for terror sites, it's a different matter. For example in XCF, your job is to fight and destroy various cults and other sinister organizations, usually culminating in storming their HQ. It feels weird if you just completely destroyed their structure two weeks ago and they still go about their business as normal, because it's still the same month.
I realize my example is not super strong, since you can explain it away with "there are still uncovered cells which carried the operation" etc., and often you'd be right. But at other times not really, when the enemy in question for whatever reason functions more like the droid army from the prequel trilogy of Star Wars - once you kill the brain, you kill the entire network.
So while it's a limitation I can work around, or write around, sometimes it's not that easy and may feel forced to the player.

8

XPiratez / Re: Stuff I'd love to see in XPiratez!

« on: July 12, 2019, 09:30:43 am »

Too Microsoft.

9

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 0.9.9d: Samael's Passage

« on: July 10, 2019, 04:00:52 pm »

Why do you people fixate on the brain so much? The brain has nothing to do with this. (Aside from the "brain transfer" idiocy, which I won't even comment upon.)
The point is, if you want a bloodhound, you need to grow a bloodhound. From an embryo. Turning an adult dog to a bloodhound is as hard as turning an average Joe into a 2.5 m Space Marine. Even if it was possible, it just doesn't make much sense.
But I realize the gameplay advantage, so I'm like, "convince me, I want to be convinced".

10

Released Mods / Re: [COMPILATION] Final Mod Pack (FMP)

« on: July 10, 2019, 03:55:47 pm »

Yeah, it was reported before. I will release an update soonish, but I want to port some cool stuff from the X-Com Files, and this takes time.

11

XPiratez / Re: Extended Piratez general FAQ/Strategy Guide

« on: July 09, 2019, 04:47:26 pm »

Playing the Male Touch route is a bit more similar to classic X-Com. Here are my 8 Tenets of Human Warrior, which I have just formulated! (Could it be that they're related to the 8 Demon Gods? They probably are!)

1. Be prepared to take more losses. You can replace them more easily than Gals.
2. Capitalize on numbers. The Male Touch gives you access to an early truck, so use it. Consider using expeditions.
3. Not being able to hire Gals doesn't mean you won't have any. Make the extra effort to get all the ubers you can, especially early on. These Gals will be your elite breachers (give them chain mail or whatever good assault armour you have) and heavy weapon specialists. Don't use them as rank and file troppers, humans can do this just as well.
4. Get some Lokk'Naars for piloting, unless you have extra Gals and you want to use air combat as training. Lokks are also useful for their night vision (a big problem for humans) and other perks.
5. Bugeye advisors are phenomenal medics. Use either them or peasant nurses to patch up wounds. Also use their psi powers at every opportunity, even when it seems hopeless; they will rack up experience which you'll need later on (MC is still a thing).
6.Always remember everyone's combat role (assaulter, rifleman, sniper etc.) and generally stick with it.
7. Armour is important. Even the runt can make a difference. Humans are squishy!
8. Slave Soldiers are more collected than Gals and won't freak out so easily. If you meet resistance, slow down, use cover, flank the enemy, take potshots from different angles. Nobody likes campers, but there's a whole spectrum between camping and charging in mindlessly.

Good luck!

12

OpenXcom Extended / Re: OXCE (OpenXcom Extended) main thread

« on: July 08, 2019, 08:58:01 pm »

I've seen it... But I doubt more than 5% of players actually use them. It's probably still too generous.

13

Released Mods / Re: [WIP][Beta][MegaMod]Equal Terms 2.0++

« on: July 08, 2019, 08:55:50 pm »

Yes, this is exactly what I did in The X-Com Files. I just had to set armorTransformations on certain terrains.

14

Released Mods / Re: Vanilla TFTD translation questions

« on: July 07, 2019, 07:22:36 pm »

Yes, I am aware of the issue... But well, I guess it's something we modders must live with. It's a case-by-case decision every time...

15

Released Mods / Re: Vanilla TFTD translation questions

« on: July 07, 2019, 07:04:19 pm »

But as it stands now (see the rest of this thread), there's no way to correct vanilla strings or meld them with the mod strings, so there will always be this clear division between a modder's work and the vanilla product.

But it's not true... You can replace vanilla strings with a modded value.