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Topics - moriarty

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1
OXCE Suggestions Archive / [Suggestion] complex UFO crash damage
« on: February 23, 2017, 05:27:27 pm »
Hi guys (specifically Meridian, Yankes, and ohartenstein23),

I suggested something similar way back before OXCE+, but now I think it might be possible, so I'll suggest it again: Would it be possible to change the way the battlescape is generated for crashed UFOs, depending on (for example) the amount of excess damage it received, the speed it was traveling at when it crashed and the weapon that was used to shoot it down?
I'm thinking that the flat-out "75% chance of Power Source exploding" is nice and simple, but we could add a little more flavor to the game.

Examples:
- UFO was shot down using a machine gun: after Battlescape is generated (but before battle starts), apply lots of very small shots to outer hull, creating dents and scratches
    vs.
- UFO was shot down using Fusion Ball: after Battlescape is generated (but before battle starts), apply one big explosion to randomly selected side of UFO, possibly tearing a large chunk out of the UFO

- UFO crashed while hovering: nothing special
    vs.
- UFO crashed while cruising at high speed: after Battlescape is generated (but before battle starts), apply a line of explosions from the UFO extending to border of battlescape, creating a crash path. also apply damage to opposite outer hull of UFO.

- UFO was shot down using "EMP"-weapon: chance of power source exploding very small
    vs.
- UFO was shot down using Fusion Ball: chance of power source exploding very high



I'm sure there's more we could think of. Do you think this would be possible at all?

2
XPiratez / [SUGGESTION] slave raids / making brainers more rare
« on: October 23, 2015, 04:17:39 pm »
...ooookay, I'm not sure if this is even possible, or perhaps even implemented, since I haven't played all the way through XPiratez, but maybe this is something you consider worthy of pusuing.

I was thinking that since you are not the only pirate-y organisation out there (Raiders?), it might be interesting to have other pirate bases that you can raid in order to obtain slaves or runts or perhaps even brainers?


----> this leads me to another point:

I think that the brainers are far too "cheap" in the game. I mean, your research facility can hold only a few, and they are extremely important, so why can they be bought at all? within the setting of the game, brainy mutants suitable for true research should be a valuable resource, and a group of pirates should be happy to have maybe two or three of them... finding more should be more difficult than just going to a market, shouldn't it?

perhaps finding more of them should work more like paying a market fee to obtain information about where you might find one, spawning a special mission that allows you to go and try to steal one from another group of pirates... if that's at all possible within the extended code. of course, that would make the game even more RPG-y, but that's a good thing, isn't it?

3
granted, it's not an issue for vanilla games, and certainly not during battles, but when you play something like PirateZ and try to equip your soldiers in the basescape (or before a base defense mission, for that matter), there's just so many different kinds of weapons and ammunition... and the game tries to sort all small items into the gaps left by larger items, so hunting for the right kind of ammo for the weapon you just equipped can be quite a challenge.

two things could make this easier:
1) sort the items on the "floor" by their listorder. nevermind the gaps. we have that nifty arrow that the original original game didn't have, so we don't have to fit everything into one screen width.

2) add a "left" arrow! sure it's nice to be able to scroll, but it would be even nicer to be able to scroll both ways  ;)

4
if you try to create a close-combat weapon by taking a ranged weapon using maxRange=1, you get a very weird attack pattern where you can't attack diagonally, even though those tiles should be considered "directly adjacent".

Code: [Select]
.....
..X..
.XSX.
..X..
.....

S = Soldier
X = can be attacked
. = can not be attacked

I think it would make sense to allow attacking those adjacent tiles. Maybe add an option that allows "maxRange=1.5", creating this attack pattern (which would be similar to true melee weapons):

Code: [Select]
.....
.XXX.
.XSX.
.XXX.
.....

S = Soldier
X = can be attacked
. = can not be attacked

5
okay, I admit the title of this is a bit obscure.

what I mean is this:

- currently, "manufacture" operations can use all kinds of "raw materials" and even produce any number of items, to the point that you can add manufacturing jobs that use (for example) a rifle and a scope to manufacture a sniper rifle, as well as using a sniper rifle and "manufacture" a rifle and a scope. this is really cool, because it allows very modular items for mods.

- this does not work for any "object" with a unique ID: craft, for example, or possibly soldiers...? I'd like to see that implemented. possibly via a separate "modify" screen that lets you pick a "unique" item (one with a discreet ID), and shows you the available options for upgrading, like a manufacturing project, listing requirements and costs.

what would this give us?

- the ability to allow craft upgrades: interceptors with alloy plating, with alien-navigation-augmented controls, with UFO-power-source engines...

- the ability to implement stuff like cybernetically-enhanced soldiers. or genetically modified. "Enemy Within", anyone?

- even specialized medical stations, that "use" a wounded soldier as "raw material" (along with some other stuff) and "construct" a healed soldier (in less time than it would take for them to heal normally, preferably).

- special training centers? a "shooting range" facility, in which you can assign "jobs" that take a soldier as "raw material" and use some time to "manufacture" a soldier with better aim? (although the last two might be better for a re-utilization of the psi-lab code).

6
Suggestions / psi "backlash" possible?
« on: September 03, 2014, 10:38:17 am »
I was wondering if it was possible to include some additional costs and risks for psi powers:

- "mental damage" from failed attempts: failed psi attack --> psi attacker receives stun damage / loses morale / loses energy

- "backlash" from controlled enemies: if a psi-controlled unit takes damage, the psi-controller receives stun damage / loses morale / loses energy


I realize that this could even be exploited by mean xcom commanders by taking unarmed psi-weak rookies on a mission and shooting them once they are controlled (to take out or weaken the psi-attacking aliens), but would you really do that? seriously? ;)

7
Suggestions / defining "valid targets" for "weapons"?
« on: August 26, 2014, 10:22:04 am »
I wonder if it would be possible to create a "weapon" that can only be used on civilians?

while this may sound sadistic and cruel at first glance, it is actually meant to be the opposite :) I would like to create a pseudo-PsiAmp that can only be used on civilians at close range (1-3 tiles or something).

story-wise this would be either a megaphone (shouting at them) or a nice shiny badge (flashing it at them), which you can use to ascertain your authority and tell the civilians to run in a certain direction... game-wise it would be a limited-range, civilian-only mind control device.

this would even fit nicely if civilians get weapons (or we include armed cops or even military personnel): if you manage to get close to one, you can get them out of shock and tell them to fire at an alien.


8
Resources / image editors / graphics programs
« on: July 24, 2014, 11:44:28 pm »
after failing at craft-weapon-icon creation again because I was using the GIMP, I thought we could collect a list of graphics programs that can or cannot be safely used for editing openxcom resources...

good list:
Photoshop https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html
 - costly, but apparently it works  :P

Aseprite https://www.aseprite.org/
 - free to try or compile, 10 US$ for a license. haven't used it myself, but reportedly it's good

LibreSprite https://libresprite.github.io/
- free version of Aseprite

mtPaint http://mtpaint.sourceforge.net/
 - GNU general public license, pixel editor

Evilpixie http://evilpixie.scumways.com/
 - free open source, Windows and Linux, reportedly working fine

GrafX2 http://grafx2.chez.com/
 - free open source, many operating systems, reportedly working fine

GraphicsGale https://graphicsgale.com/us/
 - free, windows only, latest version reportedly working fine

bad list:
The GIMP https://www.gimp.org/ but also as a portable app
 - while it is a brilliant image editor, it will screw up your indexed palette. I've been there several times now, and it's inevitable.

paint.NET https://www.getpaint.net/index.html
 - another very good image manipulator, free for use, unfortunately it will "optimize" the palette, removing necessary unused colors. not good for openxcom.

9
this is WIP, but I thought I'd share it with you. my general aim is to craft a ruleset (or rather several rulesets that combine into one mod) that nerfs plasma weapons in a believable way. this mod modifies the craft plasma weapon:

I never understood why the craft plasma weapon was a beam weapon, while all handheld weapons shoot green globs. also, the taken-from-the-original-files-but-never-used-in-the-original-game UFOpedia text doesn't fit the description of a plasma weapon, instead talking about an imploding gravity field... whatever.

this mod is based on the following assumptions:
- the craft plasma weapon is based on the same technology the handheld plasma weapons use
- it shoots (big) green globs
- the weapon uses elerium for operation, but is made from alien alloys
- plasma dissipates when traveling through the atmosphere, limiting its range

what do you get from this ruleset file?

Plasma Beam is replaced by Plasma Cannon
Plasma Cannon has a range between stingray and avalanche missiles
Plasma Cannon has 30 shots; for each 10 shots, 1 unit of Elerium is needed to recharge
the projectile travels at a high speed (2,5 times the standard speed of a missile or cannon shot)
you need to research elerium and alien alloys before you can build a Plasma Cannon
building a Plasma Cannon doesn't use Elerium, but does use Alien Alloys (15 units)
UFOpedia text is changed accordingly

work to be done:
- new sounds?
(don't know about that, it actually doesn't sound that bad right now)

EDIT: new version is up
EDIT: icons finished! yay! try it out!

10
Suggestions / [object properties] light emission, timers
« on: June 30, 2014, 01:35:41 pm »
I'm not sure about the feasibility of this, but would it be possible to
- allow any object to emit light (yes, weapons too)
- create objects with fixed timers, with a defined "action" that is triggered when the timer runs out? Basically like the grenade function, but a) the ruleset defines a possible range of the timer and b) instead of exploding, anything can be defined

For example:
-minTimer: 7
-maxTimer: 7
-startsPrimed: true
-timeUpAction: spawn
-spawnObject: Tree

would define something that turns into a tree after 7 turns.

11
Work In Progress / [MOD IDEA] plasma decay
« on: June 10, 2014, 06:46:07 pm »
okay, this is just a vague idea at the moment, but it's been creeping up on me several times, so perhaps it's worth thinking through, and perhaps somebody would like to chime in.

what if the plasma used for weapons was decaying over time?

I'm not talking about "on the battlefield", since that's mere minutes (...in fact, 0 minutes...) of global time. but perhaps within hours after "charging" the plasma clips? the fluff text explanation would be that the plasma clips are in effect miniature plasma containment cells, and are filled with a ready-to-use high-energy plasma before the battle. the charging of the clip takes a few minutes, so it can't be done on-the-fly. once the plasma is in the containment, it can either be used or it decays within hours.


- plasma clips are effectively non-recoverable. you can pick them up on the battlefield, you can use them in the battle, but you can't bring 'em home. until you learn to manufacture them, you can only use what you scavenge in the current battle.

- elerium becomes more important. especially in late-game situations where you have lots of plasma weapons, you need to think twice about actually using them, and should avoid relying on them entirely.

- the tactical battle might become more interesting, because now it actually makes sense to pick up the weapons of dead aliens (or at least their plasma clips)

- you could still manufacture clips, but if you bring them into a battle, you lose them, whether you used them or not. (this might cause problems for base defense missions... not sure how to resolve that)

- the same principle should, of course, apply to the craft weapon. it should be reduced to something like 10 shots, and use elerium for re-charging. since there's no such thing as a "non-recoverable" switch for craft ammo, we could simply claim that due to the larger containment cell in the craft weapon, the plasma decay rate is greatly reduced (years instead of hours).


comments? criticism? sounds fun or boring?


12
Suggestions / "ant farm"-principle in openxcom?
« on: May 01, 2014, 01:14:09 am »
Would it be possible to replace the top-down part of the basescape screen with a battlescape-like pseudo-3D-isometric view?

And if yes, could you imagine little scientists, engineers and soldiers walking around in there?

Of course, this would only work in higher resolutions, and there's the difficulty with palettes, but would you like this? Would anybody want this?

13
Open Feedback / zombification as property of item not unit
« on: February 02, 2014, 12:56:20 am »
...so I guess that means we can have chryssalids with melee attacks that zombify AND (for example) acid spit attacks that do not zombify? sweet!

14
...does that mean damage from explosions is now applied to the armor side that faces towards the source of the explosion? nice!

15
Suggestions / [new mechanics] making pistols more useful
« on: December 08, 2013, 10:04:48 am »
I wonder if it would be possible to include special time unit rules for transfer of "1x2" weapons from the "belt" to the "hand" slots. something that emulates a "quickdraw" routine, which is surely something a soldier would train for.

this is one thing that xcom2012 got right, I think: it should probably not take time units (or very few, at the least) to let go of your primary weapon and bring up your sidearm.

this is not as easily donw as changing the transfer cost "from belt to hand", though: detaching a grenade or ammo clip from the belt should take longer. it's just the "drawing a pistol" action that should be free. is that even possible? is there any way I could achieve this with a mod?

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