Messages

31

XPiratez / Re: I had a dumb idea for a support weapon

« on: May 05, 2017, 04:56:05 pm »

If it's possible to have an item give +15 strength and -15 carrying capacity while held, you have it : It only increases how far you can throw (+5 tiles for a light item)

32

Offtopic / Re: Why Turn-Based Video Gaming?

« on: April 28, 2017, 11:37:28 am »

The turn based system leads to a kind of problem-solving game, especially if you get to choose the order of playing your units.

I think Jagged Alliance 2 has the best system for unit-level firefight : turn-based mostly, you decide what you want to do during interruptions (it's often more profitable to stay hidden), and the whole simulation is automatically real-time when the opposing sides can't see each other. The latter is invaluable to slowly creep toward an enemy position, or when combing the area for the last enemy.
 

33

Open Feedback / Re: [TFTD] Disruptor Pulse Launcher wiping out everyone on the Triton?

« on: April 03, 2017, 07:32:32 pm »

There are data patches to fix issues in the original game data : If you haven't already, take "OpenXcom TFTD Patch" in this page
https://openxcom.org/downloads-extras/

34

Playthroughs / Re: Do you storm the UFOs or sit outside?

« on: March 01, 2017, 01:01:13 pm »

Have somebody hug a UFO wall (far from a door if possible, so he's safe from unexpected alien movements) and use motion sensor. If there's no lethal threat close to the UFO door (such as cyberdisc), get all assaulters in position by the door, and end turn.
At the very beginning of new turn, use motion sensor again to get an update. Doors should be opened (and new areas explored) by soldiers at full TUs, so that they have lots of options and it minimizes reaction fire. Typically, the one who uses sensor is not the one who breaches door.

Inside UFOs, if you don't have enough people to advance in all directions, leave a proximity mine in the paths that you don't take. As long as there's no explosion, you are certain that no alien has passed this way, and it's precious information.

35

XPiratez / Re: Suggestion: New Loss Ending

« on: February 23, 2017, 03:12:53 pm »

The player "walking the plank" would be the perfect Game Over screen.

36

Troubleshooting / Re: can't recover my account...

« on: February 22, 2017, 06:24:51 pm »

Many web browsers lets you see the recorded passwords, for example with Chrome :

On your computer, open Chrome.
At the top-right, click More More and then Settings.
At the bottom, click Show advanced settings.
Under "Passwords and forms", click Manage passwords. A box will appear with a list of saved passwords.
In the "Saved passwords" section, select the website and click Show.
Windows & Mac: If you lock your computer with a password, you'll be prompted to enter your computer password.
The website password will appear.

(ref: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95606?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en-GB )

37

Playthroughs / Re: Terror From The Deep Research ... WTF?!?

« on: February 22, 2017, 06:13:36 pm »

You can save scum like crazy to overcome having no armors, but it still locks the technology of alien subs, and you need a Leviathan to enter the final mission.

38

Playthroughs / Re: Terror From The Deep Research ... WTF?!?

« on: February 21, 2017, 11:36:26 am »

Most of my TFTD playing has been before I had access to FAQs, and thus I systematically wrecked my long campaigns with the tasoth commander bug. There is only one time I managed to unlock the T'leth mission.
It was not infuriating because I had absolutely no idea what caused some items to become unlocked, and even the early game is very interesting / challenging. I easily start new campaigns, and stop as soon as I'm bored. This is why I don't mind the end-game being too easy (by the time you have 8 full bases, 100% detection, armor which cancels tactical errors, and trained MCers) : I already know what's the end, so I don't bother grind through it. By this point I play something else or start a new campaign.

39

Work In Progress / Re: Making more UFO sizes attack your base

« on: February 19, 2017, 05:00:21 pm »

It's harder than "no battleship retaliation ever, because you can prevent them entirely when you know the game internals"

40

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 0.5.5c alpha: I'll Dissect You!

« on: February 16, 2017, 02:29:13 am »

If you include a gun named AWP, people will expect it to be very overpowered.

41

Suggestions / Re: Choosing promotions?

« on: February 10, 2017, 06:30:54 pm »

Also please consider that there are many players who will do anything within their rights to win; anything that is not specifically forbidden is fair game to them. Then they come and complain that the game is too easy (or worse - brag how unstoppable they are). What am I supposed to do, make the game impossibly hard to give these people a challenge and make it hell for everyone else? Nah. But if I let them be, other players will feel like suckers, because their soldiers will be weaker, their bases will be smaller, etc. So leaving such exploits actually promotes playing dirty and ruthless micromanaging, which is a very bad thing in itself.

I think I see what Solarius means : if the game tells me "You have to manage ranks", I will know that I am supposed to analyze situations, determine what choices I have, and determine which one brings most benefits. If the feature easily allows removing some game risks with no drawback, it is a poorly-designed or poorly-balanced feature.

In this case, I think the feature of manual rank assignment rather belongs to an in-game character editor : If a screen lets you change soldiers stats, and rank, gender and looks (more user-friendly than numbers in yaml file!) it fills the needs of RPers and people who feel they have been cheated by the RNG, while it's clear that it's outside the scope of the vanilla-balanced game/mod.

42

The X-Com Files / Re: What to do with Zombies?

« on: February 10, 2017, 02:58:09 am »

In case you didn't know it already, you can right-click your prison to enter a management screen.
- If "live alien sale", you have the option to sell prisoners
- Otherwise, you have the option to, err, convert them to non-live prisoners.

43

Suggestions / Re: group mobility

« on: February 09, 2017, 05:34:52 pm »

It can save a lot of back-and-forth scrolling if you want to move several units from one "screenful" to another (especially if you're using vanilla small view, the move is across different levels, and the units are fast so you target a very far place)

I can also imagine someone wanting to advance a scattered group (firing squad) one tile at a time

44

Suggestions / Re: group mobility

« on: February 09, 2017, 11:21:42 am »

This is a clever system, because units still move one by one (and it should probably cancel further movement when new enemy is spotted or a reaction shot happens)
But I'm not sure players will be willing to leave the engine the decision of "formations", and lose control of individual movement points : 'This was sub-optimal move, and now I don't have enough TU to shoot'.

45

Work In Progress / Re: Randomise starting base facilities

« on: February 09, 2017, 04:26:34 am »

A script could (re-)generate an actual mod which defines the starting base layout.