Messages

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Comm - updated to version 0.27

« on: March 06, 2018, 02:29:56 am »

I've had a quick look over the UFOpaedia articles. They are in weird categories... I assume this is in preparation for how things will be categorised in the future? Apart from that, little to report. A very few typos but I'll no bother you with those the now. Will get stuck into the new update properly soon.

Base is looking nice in base view and efrenespartano's base sprites are also livening things up from the word go.

It looks that the result you're after would be to allow for a bigger mission rate to craft, by allowing damaged craft to be simply refueled and rearmed before being launched again. Which I already considered before, but here damage helps with having a reason to speed the Geoscape, otherwise fights could last for days (they already can, if crafts take no damage during engagements).

Yes. I don't see why I wouldn't realistically throw a craft out into the fray again if it was serviceable. I take it there's no way to halt a launch if a craft is below a certain amount of damage? E.g. can't launch after 75% damage. I just think with the feel of the scenario that most aircraft fielded by the resistance would be buckets of junk anyway. Yet we will definitely not allow a bucket of junk to be airbourne if its damaged? Even if we are under attack? I hear you on the time compression but I for one would be a bit antsy about sending up seriously damaged craft against HKs and therefore would wind the clock on anyway if I thought too much damage had been sustained. In other words, letting the payer decide whether to take the risk or not. Just my thoughts, though, it's your mod  The new pace might well change my mind anyway!

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Comm - updated to version 0.25

« on: March 04, 2018, 08:32:24 pm »

In any case, I'm working on getting the entire globe operational instead of just North America - the other regions aren't quite finished yet, but going global should result in a less hectic first month, which was planned from the start.

Good news! It is quite hectic.

I've been trying the air war a bit more these days. One thing I've noticed, something that might be good for this mod but I suspect is something outwith your control. Craft are currently repaired fully before being rearmed. It might be better if this was reversed considering the quick rearming time compared to the slow repair time. In other words, craft only armed with missiles become useless until 100% repaired.

I guess I should listen to my own advice when placing the starting base and not put it in the middle of Skynet territory.

A fine placement if you WANT to be attacked lots! I reckon the new base defence is a lot easier. I've played through twice now, both times using run for the tunnels tactics. It's quite easy to set up reaction fire traps in the tunnels and my casualties have at least halved. The first one I only lost two guys! The last one, 5. This is compared to double figures mostly, before. If the terminators are going to come through in dribs and drabs they could be easily defeated by setting up and ending turn. I suspect infiltrators will shake that up, though!

Finally, after many days and many hours of thinking how to draw a plane, I finished all of the current aircrafts of the Resistance! Yay! 

It's still necessary to convert them with the correct palettes, it's something that I'm still don't know how to do. But all the sprites are complete.
I hope you like them! And I hope they have no problems with the colors, although if so, I will correct them in the shortest time possible.  I've attached a few Basebits, so you can check them out.

Have a nice weekend!

Looking nice! Will be great to seeing them in-game.

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Comm - updated to version 0.25

« on: March 01, 2018, 10:20:03 am »

Yes. And you might actually get a situation where the tunnel grates will create bottlenecks for terminators.

Exactly my defence plan last night! I meant to elaborate but the matchsticks holding up my eyes were slipping. The tunnels being more useful now gives a brilliant feeling of the future war. Infantry fight a rear guard as civilians and pilots escape below ground to form a second line of defence and then the soldiers melt away...

Although in this case it was a bug, later it will be possible to get infiltrator terminators appearing in those locations, once those units are added.

Awesome! That will add to the mayhem! I did have a wee tongue in cheek thought that maybe it was an infiltrator.

The new underground living quarters is excellent, you've put quite a bit of thought into making sure there's somewhere to read, cook some food and a wee medical bay too. At least someone cares 

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Comm - updated to version 0.25

« on: March 01, 2018, 05:12:21 am »

More or less - it's either remove all grates from the tunnels or try to keep some. I'm still working on how to solve this

OK, there's ways and means to create doors for now anyway 

On ground level or inside the building? If it's on the rooftop, it is supposed to start there

It was in the underground bit with the bunks.



I really like the new setup though.

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Comm - updated to version 0.25

« on: February 28, 2018, 10:32:22 pm »

Just trying the new base design. I really like the new command centre, now the tunnels are more useful. I haven't got too far yet, turn 4 - there is at least one bug. Something weird with the terminator sprite.



The other thing is that the living quarters and stores sections are cut off from the command centre ladder by tunnel grates, which I assume isn't intentional.

Edit:
I restarted and there seems to be a terminator in the living quarters on turn 1.

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Comm - version 0.23 released!

« on: February 27, 2018, 11:18:58 pm »

Do you mean the location of the music files? The location is mods/TechCom/SOUND, there is a list about the names of the files, so you can edit them.
Check this out.
https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/Audio_Options_(OpenXcom)

Yes I do, nice one, thank you!  I will have a little play with that when I get time.

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Comm - version 0.23 released!

« on: February 27, 2018, 05:13:03 pm »

Wow guys things are blasting on. Looking forward to seeing your sprites, efrenespertano!

That seems sensible about the soundtrack, I have to say. Any chance of a pointer as to where the music files are if we're going to make our own?

Meanwhile, I've been trying to break what we have already!

Two wee issues on base defence. I forgot to get a screenie of the first one but one of my guys spawned in the dirt in between levels.

Also these two unfortunate individuals went down into this structure, which was an empty base square. They are doomed, never to return, because there's no way back up.

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Comm - version 0.23 released!

« on: February 24, 2018, 12:21:59 pm »

I'll hopefully get a chance to try 0.23 today. I was playing 0.22 on Easy yesterday and got a base defence mission. Chain panic began in round 2 and it was almost mesmerising watching my entire force being utterly terminated! Turn 1 was a dash back to cover, to the safety of the tunnels and I managed to get a a handful of personnel under ground. Once the panic started I figured even if I lost a good proportion of my guys, I should be able to rally underground and come back out fighting.

Then some idiot with a rocket launcher panicked in the first room with the stairs and we all know how it goes after that. I still had two soldiers below ground, but then the terminators started coming down. I wasn't sure if they'd find the entrance so easily but apparntly they seem to. Two units infiltrated the tunnels, terminating the last soldiers down there

The last man left alive was Virender Jain but, as you can see, he's up to his neck in it 

He was standing there when the floor tile was destroyed. The three brown squares are impassible and poor Virender is unable to get out to be properly terminated. The terminators gained access to the tunnels by dropping down on the other side of the obstacle where the ceiling had been blown away by another explosion.

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Comm - version 0.22 released!

« on: February 24, 2018, 02:33:38 am »

Ah, sorry, I was forgetting about that. 

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Comm - version 0.22 released!

« on: February 24, 2018, 01:32:35 am »

Think I have found a bug when a player craft gets shot down. I'm not sure if I should be reporting it here or on Meridian's thread as it could be something to do with the HK mechanics. My living quarters was at full capacity before I launched a Talon on an intercept. It was shot down, but my living quarters is still at 50 and as a result I can't buy a replacement pilot. I only noticed when my purchase was denied on the buy/sell screen. I started a new game and deliberately lost a craft and the same thing happened.

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Comm - version 0.21 released!

« on: February 22, 2018, 02:22:32 pm »

It's going to be fun trying out the new features 

Things are looking a little different now, for sure!

A wee CTD occurred while using the "Custom Initial Base" Advanced option when I clicked to place the first structure. I then tried it without that option enabled and all went well. 

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Com - alpha version released!

« on: February 21, 2018, 11:46:11 pm »

One feature I asked already to Meridian was if it would be possible to sort the Personnel list by pilots/non-pilots, to more easily find them. Would that help?

Aye! 

You could also try making separate name files for the pilots, such as making all pilots only have the first name "Pilot" or adding "Pilot " to the beginning of every first name.  Or, since you have pilots wearing different armor from regular soldiers, you can look at the soldiers' armors to see which are the pilots and which aren't.

Adding to the name would be my preference though. Easily identifiable in the menus and also in combat. Even a symbol, maybe, to save character space.

E.g.

^ soldier e.g.. ^Helga Heinz
@ Scientist e.g. @Estevano Ramirez
# Pilot e.g. #Willie Wonka
etc...

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Com - alpha version released!

« on: February 21, 2018, 10:06:08 pm »

That is interesting, specially since I was considering to add two different types of soldiers, the specialist and the technician, who could also do research/manufacture, with the technician being the only soldier type capable to use the equivalent of psionics. But this is just a idea for the moment.

Short of removing pilots altogether, there are a couple of other things I can do to reduce the workload - reduce the number of starting craft (which I already did to 6) and reduce the number of crew required for each ship (1-2 pilots max).

I'll keep this issue in mind on the future, thanks.

I'm not saying that it's not a worthwhile sacrifice! Could some kind of XcomUtil-like statstring system be used to automatically add a string on personnel purchase or game start to designate pilots (and base staff, in time) but leaving soldiers without one? That would save a heap of work at game start and when recovering from the Terminators knocking on the front door.

 

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Com - alpha version released!

« on: February 21, 2018, 04:26:38 pm »

Just came up against this CTD when assaulting a Skynet Lab

https://imgur.com/lrejM02

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Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE+] Terminator: Tech-Com - alpha version released!

« on: February 21, 2018, 01:47:33 pm »

I tried the base defence and wow was that brutal. 12 killed. I think I'd take a different approach next time, make use of the tunnels more and fight a more defensive battle, however with some of my men cut off, even that wouldn't be so easy.

Change that I like most: Excellent choice of campaign setting that really suits the game engine and the ability to have a more realistic air war

Dislike: The many pilots, crew etc in the base means quite a lot of micromanagement to the point of being a bit overwhelming.

I've updated the download link. List of changes:
The bigger plan will be to restrict what you can purchase since you'll have to scavenge most of your material from missions. But that still requires implementation/changes of game mechanics so it won't be something near.

This sounds like an interesting way to do things. It is much more motivating to go on missions if its not just another bug-hunt.

I'm going to try a resistance mission today. Sounds like it's going to be fun.