Messages

1

Hardmode Expansion / Re: Hardmode Expansion - Bugreports

« on: February 16, 2023, 10:13:06 am »

Please update to the github Version Hardmode Expansion 1.0 WIP, you can find it here: https://github.com/hellrazor4223/hardmode-expansion/archive/refs/heads/master.zip

The bug was already fixed in the WIP Version, i could end the mission in the savegame by killing the two remaining Cyberdiscs and the alive one was recovered as intended.

Thank you. It helped.

2

Hardmode Expansion / Re: Hardmode Expansion - Bugreports

« on: February 15, 2023, 11:22:09 pm »

And now more serious bug. During base defense, I managed to stun Cyberdisk. I thought that all the cybers are dead and sent team of three people with stun pistols and rods to capture live sectoids. At the start of the turn, right behind the door stood a cyberdisk. I remember that you cant stun tanks in vanilla. But though. Hey, what if. And three of my guys somehow managed to stunn it. Final strike, I believe was a stun pistol. And, at the end of the mission I`m getting a crush screen reffering to invalid live alien or something like that. I loaded a save before killing final alien. Tried to finish "body" of a disk with grenades, but it didn`t help. Still crush. Had to replay. Luckily, I saved right after I stunned him. Save file in the attachment. He is lying right by the main door of the hangar  that is connected to main lift.
I presume, this could happen even by using something like a stun bomb.

3

Hardmode Expansion / Re: Hardmode Expansion - Bugreports

« on: February 15, 2023, 07:25:35 pm »

A minor bug (not sure it`s even worth mentioning) with a trajectory when using small launcher. If I attempt to shoot small launcher with soldier standing on the hill south of the landing craft (Sheu Li), game prevents me from choosing all nine squares of UFO`s to lift platform (no viable trajectory). Rest of the spots seem ok. Force shooting also works.   

4

Hardmode Expansion / Re: [EXPANSION]Hardmode Expansion -- General Feedback Thread

« on: February 13, 2023, 08:34:42 pm »

In my opinion the original Xcom could have needed some more time with playtesters, to iron out some stuff.
ResearchTree and Economy mainly, this was one of the main reasons for this mod.

Original Xcom went through development hell. And was released way before they could call a finished product. Fortunately, it was a grate foundation for modding (since OpenXcom appeared).  It`s amazing that 30 years after the release, driven individuals can shape it be a game of their dreams. Maybe we will get to the point you get to release this as a finished product to the market

Ohh wait until you get to the later months and nasty enemies will show up.
I advice to keep distance from red colored Mutons

Yeap. Mutons arrived a little before I could finish laser research. It was four or five painful missions. Too many had to sacrifice their lives to buy Earth some more time.

Thank you, you will need a lot alive ranked aliens to get to higher tech. Hope you do not mind.

Not only I do not mind, I fully endorse this long and complex research tree.

The grenade launcher and the modified small launcher are especially powerful, when the terrain is good.
And they are nearly totaly useless indoors, due to the arking shot.

May I ask, why Elerium Rockets cost so much money to produce? 10k for a single shot seem to much. Especially considering that we are making them using other materials. Three Elerium-115 is 7,5k. Making a single shot cost 17.5k. I love rocket launcher, but in this economy, using Elerium rockets seems like luxury.

Also, have you considered  adding alloy version of rocket launcher? A slightly lighter, and slightly more accurate. Maybe making switching rockets requiter fewer TUs, so that we could make expensive shots on targets that really worth it? Just a thought.

Shotguns, yes go down the road of overestimation of them and it will be your downfall.
Shotguns only have a effective Range of 20 tiles, of course you can forcefire but in my eyes it not really worth.
Id rather take some Aimed Rifle Shot or Snaps shots, when the enemy is more then 16 tiles away.
If find the random bullet spread on distance with shotguns just to dangerous for my own units.
I occasionally use Scatter Lasers to clear obstacles in midrange, but Shotguns class weapons are designed for a fighting distance of 1 - 16 tiles distance.
For high hit point enemies consider distance 1 - 8 tiles to deliver massive damage, play shotgunners similar then in NuCom (Thats the idea, with Advanced Movement Methods, you can run and strafe!).
Also Conventional Shotguns with Alloy Rounds are a pretty safe way to kill Chrysalids up close, they can oneshot them (Crit!!).
Cyberdiscs can also be killed with them, but Alloy AP Heavy Canon can do that better from distance.

So far(lasers mostly), I still can`t find a good use for rifles. Even though I want to. 16 to 20 tiles range is enough in most cases. Especially when we are talking some tougher aliens, those rifles just don`t do much. Auto shot is too inaccurate. Heavy Laser does it better(better accuracy and more shots) and end even has better snap shot(75% acc vs 65%). Let alone it deal more damage.  And for everything at distances further than 16-20 tiles, we have a Sniper. With sniper I can make two or three high hit chance shots. And each individual sniper shot, deals 60% more damage.
Maybe a double shot snap would make it a better alternative?

Rifles (and of course Sniper Rifles) deal safely with long distance low HP units, Shotguns deal safely with short distance high HP units.
And there are some really nasty high HP units. Please let me know of your first encounter with Muton Berserkers
I enjoy listening to the pain they provide to player units.

First Berserkers were fun(and still are). Encountered my first one on night terror mission. Laser shotguns what got me through. I`m very positive, had I had fever shotguns and more rifles on that mission, I would`t make it through.

Melee weapons are designed to deliver massive damage in CQC, all melee weapons apply the units strength towards the damage.
A soldier with 70 strength and a plasma sword can deal 0 - 340 damage. If attacking from behind he will not trigger reactionfire.
I may change the usage TU of melee weapons in the future, currently its a fixed 20 TU per usage, i think percentage wise would be better.

Will sure try them out when I get to research plasma ones, and find a way to maintain squad not full of rookies.

Get more Rader bases and check your graphs for activity. You can also stack large radars on bases.
It also depends on how many UFO's you shot down, i avoid shooting down UFO's and try to catch them when being landed. (No retaliation)
Usually 3 is enough on one base to nearly detect any UFO which comes in range. You get more discovery checks.
If you know were a alien base is, make sure you build a base of your own nearby, place a combat team there and milk supply ships for money.

Money is a very big problem. Can`t afford to stack radars so easily. But after playing a little more, UFOs become more frequent. Will see how things evolve. 

A hint:
Get some Personal Armor or Power Suits, once you have Pistols with Alloy Ammo and normal HE grenades are all you need to handle full sectoids supply ships.
Bring a big team, a few guys will go nuts, but they can't hurt themselves or others. Its the perfect opportunity to capture a sectoid leader for psionics.

Even personal armour is rather far down the research tree. Let alone Power. Dealing with large Sectoid ship is fine. Pain in the ass but fine. Since it has only one Leader. But very large ones or bases early game is too much it seems.

You can't MC Ethereals anymore. What i was thinking is making Psi-Amps use up stamina with each attack.
Your soldiers will be basically safe from PSI attacks with Psi Str 80+, when being close up to Ethereals you want Psi Str 90+.
In Harmode Expansion v1.0 lategame enemies will be more resistant to Mind Control, especially over long distance.
Your Psi Soldier will have to move up, to reliably control enemies. At least thats my idea, with this change.

That is a grate idea. Looking forward to 1.0 release.

5

Hardmode Expansion / Re: Youtube Videos

« on: February 13, 2023, 07:32:10 pm »

Middle-mouse-button-click.
OXCE required.

Thank you!

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Hardmode Expansion / Re: Youtube Videos

« on: February 13, 2023, 01:47:04 pm »

A quick question here. Since comments on youtube are turned off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQo5KCP_RrE
In this video, at 4:14 you somehow clicked at the alien for a close up of him. Giving a clear view of his armaments. What is this feature? I couldn`t google this.

7

Hardmode Expansion / Re: Hardmode Expansion - Bugreports

« on: February 11, 2023, 11:55:48 am »

If you're playing the Hardmode expansion, then here.

Ok. I have a save file with bugged terrain, where alien is stuck in inaccessible part of the map.

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Hardmode Expansion / Re: Hardmode Expansion - Bugreports

« on: February 11, 2023, 11:00:37 am »

Gentlemen, where do I report terrain bugs?

9

Hardmode Expansion / Re: [EXPANSION]Hardmode Expansion -- General Feedback Thread

« on: February 08, 2023, 11:21:25 am »

Hello. A new Hardmode enjoyer here. Would like leave some feedback.
I`m playing latest Version 0.99.9.
First of all, I`d like to thank Hellrazor for this extremely painful but incredibly fun and enjoyable experience.

I`m have been playing this game since release in 1994. Had a classic transformation from save scum to Ironman. But I`ve never been a super hard core player who knows every ins and outs of the game. Very long time ago I found original UFO to be very easy. And switched mostly to TftD since OpenXcom made playing that game a much more reliable experience. However, some design decisions of TftD always made experience significantly less enjoyable. I`m of course talking about two staged terror and base mission. I think that original Xcom almost nailed pacing part of the game from very beginning.  And right now I see Hardmode as a perfect combination of two games. Much more transparent and easy to follow pacing, and a real challenge difficulty wise. 
I`m having my first play through (watched some let`s plays of the mod that sold me on the idea. Thank you Loonsloon), I just transitioned to May. Got my first live alien and working on dataslate.
Here is some feedback and questions based om my limited experience:
1)   New research tree is amazing. Really like the idea of alloy rounds to make transition to Lasers much longer and rewarding.
2)   However, I find new shotguns to be slightly over tuned compared to other weapons. And super over tuned compared to Rifles. For example, first though on new Grenade Launcher was – “OP as hell”. But very soon, I understood that terrain made them very balanced. Plenty of obstacles. I presume a deliberate design of some new UFOs that provide addition cover. Let alone almost zero use in closed environments like bases. Shotguns on the other hand, seem to have zero down sides. First of all, Shotgun snap shot is mathematically over five times better over rifle. They both have same TU cost of 25%. Same accuracy of 60% but rifle shoots only one round and shotgun shoots five of them. In comparison, Rifle auto shot is just a joke. Three shots with lower accuracy and higher TU cost. And on top of that, add higher damage of individual round of a shotgun. 46 against 40. I feel like rifles need a boost in accuracy and TU cost to be justified. And no, I don`t think that higher values for aimed shot compensate. Snipers are better and we always have second support trooper for CQB. Besides, you only need two snipers at most. Maybe two grenade launchers (if terrain allows it), rest is just shotguns.
3)   Are melee weapons just fun service? For now, I see zero use for them. Maybe later versions will change my mind.   
4)   In my play through if found remarkably few UFOs. It`s may. I saw only 24. Most of them are very small that often outrun my Interceptors. And significant chunk had been large sectiod ships. I have three radar bases in regions that game claimed to have alien activity. But after construction, two of my bases had zero contact. I know of the second base. But it`s a sectiod base. Basically invulnerable at this point. Found third one after region had signed a pact with aliens and luckily it was mixed Floater/Sectoid base. In normal game this good for you. But here, where main income is missions, that is a significant problem. I feel like things will start to fall apart by the end of the month. What`s even stranger, is that I watch Loonsloon`s play through, and he had been doing better than me in terms of dealing with aliens, and yet, he sees plenty of UFOs.
5)   Psi…. Oh boy, where to begin with that. This part of the game had always been most broken and frustrating. Second month – full Sectoid base.  Zero chances of successful assault. Also, that makes all large UFOs I find near that base pure Sectoids. Making them a low chance gamble for an Ironman play through. Perhaps, we could tune game logic a little bit. So that pure Sectiod crews appear a little further down the road? Or, I`d make Sectoid Psi abilities slightly weaker. Like increase TUs to make them use it slightly less often. That will give us a proper fighting chance and we could meet Ethereals prepared.
6)   On top of that, I`d make our solders unable to use attacking Psi abilities. And made Psi-Amp in to a purely defensive mechanism. Not impenetrable shield. But additional protection for Psi attacks. 
7)   Some minor terrain issues. Particularly I had some very frustrating jungle/pyramid layouts that made large UFO site frustrating as hell. Very narrow paths. Extreme amount of vegetation.  And more importantly, when I tried to clear path, most of the vegetation turned out to be immune do explosives and incendiary damage.

But again. Thank you very much for this mode. It was super fun. Hoping it will improve over time and more people will hear about it.