Messages

151

Open Feedback / Re: Range based accuracy for grenades?

« on: January 22, 2014, 01:17:15 pm »

I see, thanks!
Is there any documentation which formula is used in which mode? Just curious...

About grenades - sorry but I made more than 100  test throws with grenades - both with range base accuracy on and off - and not a single one missed.
Feel free to enter the test range, see savegame below.

Also did the same with weapons in other savegames but I could not produce a miss.

152

Troubleshooting / Missiles can't hit in cautious and standard attack

« on: January 22, 2014, 02:57:24 am »

I just noticed that it seems to be impossible to hit UFOs with Stingray or Avalanche missiles unless you use aggressive attack mode.
Cautious and standard attack have no effect, 100% miss rate.
However, Plasma Beams seem to hit normally in all modes.
Can anyone reproduce this?

Build used:
openxcom_git_master_2014_01_20_1603.zip - built 2014-01-20 15:06

153

Suggestions / Re: Make ufos smarter an tougher

« on: January 22, 2014, 02:51:36 am »

Well, having only one Interceptor isn't a normal situation either
You start with two interceptors, give them avalanches and they can take down a terror ship without problems, providing they get to it in time.

When playing on higher difficulty levels you'll be researching Heavy Plasma in January and end up with plasma beams to take down the February terror ship anyway.  From there a single interceptor can deal with anything other than a battleship.

154

Open Feedback / Re: Range based accuracy for grenades?

« on: January 22, 2014, 01:24:08 am »

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by 'disabled'
When range based accuracy is set to 'true', shots fired take distance into account, which is a good idea.
When set to 'false'. distance does not matter.
Or am I wrong?

Regardless, throws always have 100% accuracy, try it out. You can't miss by throwing.
I used openxcom_git_master_2014_01_20_1603.zip - built 2014-01-20 15:06

155

Suggestions / Re: Make ufos smarter an tougher

« on: January 21, 2014, 10:55:31 pm »

Yes, that's the point.
An Interceptor with Avalanche Missiles is invincible except for Battleships.
Now if smaller UFOs could do just a minimal damage to the interceptor it would not be able to refuel/rearm until repaired which would balance the game. Or they could just outrun it with their higher top speed.

156

Open Feedback / Bug in accuracy for grenades?

« on: January 21, 2014, 10:26:19 pm »

I just extensively tested this with rookies and the results are pretty weird.
My worst throwers have an accuracy of 51 and they can throw +25 tiles without missing, they hit the target tile with 100% accuracy - always!
Weaker ones may have a limited range but they never miss, no matter how far I let them throw.
When using heavy- or auto-cannons at this range, the results are terrible even with aimed shots.
It wasn't like this in earlier builds, I think this is a bug.

About alien grenades - if you play at higher difficulties, more aliens carry grenades so you have a constant supply. Never had to manufacture an alien item in the entire playthrough.

157

Suggestions / Re: Make ufos smarter an tougher

« on: January 21, 2014, 11:31:53 am »

Sorry I have to whine about this issue again, but it's one of the few things in this wonderful game that really bothers me.

Even on superhuman where aliens are pretty tough in battlescape, UFOs other than the battleship still are completely defenseless and can easily be shot down with a single interceptor without inflicting damage or escaping (very rarely happens).

Even worse they often enter the atmosphere on the other side of the world as their target area is supposed to be, so you have both high chance of detecting them and plenty of time to send an interceptor after them. As they slow down in the target area, even a slow craft is sufficient.
For beginners that sure is convenient but it gets boring over time, It also makes the Firestorm completely useless.


My suggestions:
.)UFOs should either attack or try to flee.
Could be a probability function of difficulty level x dogfight time modified by UFO class. Smaller ones are more likely to flee, larger ones would rather attack.

.) Shorten the time an UFO spends before landing  with increased difficulty. This forces you to use faster crafts and leads to successful alien missions you cannot prevent.

Maybe we could add this optional behavior as in sneaky AI?

158

Open Feedback / Range based accuracy for grenades?

« on: January 21, 2014, 10:50:58 am »

With the current range based accuracy model, rookies have almost no chance to hit their target, however they can throw grenades half across the map and they will land right before the alien's feet.
Same of course for alien terrorists.
I think this seems a bit unfair as it gives grenades - especially the alien ones - far too much power. What do you think about limiting throwing range and accuracy?

159

Open Feedback / Re: Carrying downed squadmate to the Skyranger won't save her?

« on: January 21, 2014, 10:35:11 am »

Imagine stuffing your unconscious comrade in your backpack to carry him to safety, fly home and get some good rest. You recover and proceed with your duties, but after a couple of days your roommates start to complain about a strange odor coming from the backpack you left in a corner.
Damn - forgot something...

Just tested the fate of unconscious team-members with current build 2014_01_20_1603.
Units in inventory and inside craft are recovered, but those outside are lost without warning. I think this should be shown in the abort-screen.

160

Open Feedback / Re: changing difficulty in savegames

« on: October 21, 2013, 03:14:32 am »

Hello!

Been taking a break from OXC during summer, I really like what you created within the last months.

Just out of curiosity - what happens if you set a number higher than 4 for difficulty?
I tried but I don't see any obvious differences.

161

Open Feedback / Re: changing difficulty in savegames

« on: April 13, 2013, 11:31:07 pm »

Awesome, thanks!
I switched my main game to superhuman as it was getting too easy on veteran - and the aliens really kick ass now! 

162

Open Feedback / changing difficulty in savegames

« on: April 07, 2013, 03:07:35 am »

Is it possible to change difficulty by editing a savegeme?

I would like to see how alien behavior changes on different levels.

163

Suggestions / Make identification of alien ranks harder / more logical

« on: March 31, 2013, 03:19:50 am »

As we had the discussion about color schemes for different alien ranks here
https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,737.0.html
I always wondered how even the dumbest Rookie who had never seen an alien before could easily identify it's rank as soon as he was standing over a stunned one.

My suggestion:
A) give the different ranks some differences in color (only partly explains how the rookie could identify the rank of an unknown alien species)
B) treat stunned aliens like alien artifacts - as long as they are not researched only the species should be displayed in the inventory screen - like in corpses.
This would make it harder to catch the desired ranks as you'd only know what you caught after completing the mission.

164

Troubleshooting / Re: How the *** do you put your soldiers in psi training?

« on: March 30, 2013, 02:38:22 am »

Psi-lavatories?

I was searching for this option like a fool as well, I guess not having played the game for about 17 years does count as an excuse...

165

Programming / Re: Question on alien appearance ratios

« on: March 30, 2013, 02:29:36 am »

darkestaxe, this is what I would expect but that's not what is always happening.

I've had snakemen-only games with no other races for the first 2 months, retaliation-missions by ethereals in Jan and generally an obscure scarcity of mutons. Some behavior surely was caused by the retaliation bug (all ufos were scanning for xcom bases for retaliation regardless of their mission).
My main game which is near completion is pretty normaI, except that I have not seen a single muton and it's July. Ethereals only popped up recently with infiltration missions. Generally most missions are run by sectoids, followed by snakemen, then floaters.

alienMissions:
  - type: STR_ALIEN_INFILTRATION
    region: STR_EUROPE
    race: STR_FLOATER
    nextWave: 2
    nextUfoCounter: 0
    spawnCountdown: 10500
    liveUfos: 0
    uniqueID: 8
  - type: STR_ALIEN_RETALIATION
    region: STR_NORTH_AMERICA
    race: STR_SECTOID
    nextWave: 3
    nextUfoCounter: 1
    spawnCountdown: 660
    liveUfos: 0
    uniqueID: 18
  - type: STR_ALIEN_HARVEST
    region: STR_NORTH_AMERICA
    race: STR_SECTOID
    nextWave: 4
    nextUfoCounter: 0
    spawnCountdown: 4290
    liveUfos: 0
    uniqueID: 20
  - type: STR_ALIEN_TERROR
    region: STR_NORTH_AFRICA
    race: STR_SECTOID
    nextWave: 1
    nextUfoCounter: 0
    spawnCountdown: 1620
    liveUfos: 0
    uniqueID: 21
  - type: STR_ALIEN_INFILTRATION
    region: STR_AUSTRALASIA
    race: STR_ETHEREAL
    nextWave: 2
    nextUfoCounter: 0
    spawnCountdown: 13740
    liveUfos: 0
    uniqueID: 22