Messages

46

Released Mods / Re: [PSI][STATS][HWP][ARMOR] PSIwar

« on: March 14, 2015, 12:33:44 pm »

I this the final relase or you plan to hack and balance things so we can have harder times?
I don't think I will end up using the PSI-Armor when the Flying Suite will be available in later game.
If PSI-Armor will give me some big stats increase (+40 PSI for example), I may consider using it instead of the more powerful FA, this will force me to choose for battle protection or psi-protection, but only +10 FA wins hand off.
Well, I need some days to play and reach the psi-techs.
thanks redv

This mod is standalone version, which adds minimum necessary changes to improve psionic balance in the game.
Psi-armour not intended for using in late game, but it's enough for middle of game.

The mod has prologue, evolution and outcome. Therefore this is a typical scenario, but not only adds some stuff to the game.
One of goals of the mod is realization of the idea: with Ethereals can fight only strong psionics and machines.

So, yes, i plan to write addition "theMachine" where player (in final) can build special machines for supporting a humans-psionics on the battlefield.
What is the "machine"? it's a secret

47

Released Mods / [PSI][STATS][HWP][ARMOR] PSIwar

« on: March 12, 2015, 03:22:40 pm »

Most mysterious of alien artefacts became a Mind probe.
Is already clear, it is an communication device which is used to take information directly from brain waves. But the device contains unknown organic tissue forming a neural network. Therefore replication of the mind probe is impossible.

The good news is, that using a parts of mind probe we can construct our own devices.

First of them is Psi-amp. Its purpose is obvious.

Next of them is Psi-armour. Scientists were able to connect components of mind probe to the human nervous system. Invented PSI armour boosts the nervous system and increase a psi abilities of soldier. The implications are poorly understood, but is already clear, that prolonged use of PSI armour may cause claustrophobia, panic, unmotivated aggression.

Theoretically possible make an artificial imitation of the human nerve impulses. Which allows to develop a HWP equipped with PSI weapon. This HWP will be intended for demoralisation and obtaining control over enemy soldiers.

All of psi-devices uses parts of mind probe. Therefore mind probe is most rare and most priceless of alien artefacts.

The bad news is, that psi abilities of aliens higher, than we suspected (yes, much higher;)).

Using the most powerful of our psi-equipment we can deter alien attacks.
But change the course of the war possible if will be found a technology of replicate a mind probe.


INSTALLATION

1. Copy the archive content to the "data" folder of your OpenXcom installation.
2. In Options-MODS submenu choose PSIwar.scenario mod.


DEINSTALLATION

Just find and delete the folder "PSIwar" and all files which starts with "PSIwar" from the "data" folder and subfolders of your OpenXcom installation.


RULESET

As you know, psionic is unbalanced in the vanilla Xcom. I believe, that psionic unbalanced not because it is overpower, but because it is too weak, and because it is unlimited.

Psi abilities of aliens was increased.

For manufacturing of each sample of psi equipment need a mind probe.

For manufacturing a PSI armour should be completed the "PSI Armour" research project.
For manufacturing a PSI tank and (afterwards) PSI hovertank should be completed the "Psionic HWP" project.
Psionic tank can perform "Panic units", "Mind control" and "Use Mind probe" actions.

* The regular OpenXcom contains a bug, which prevents you to use PSI tanks. In the OpenXcom Extended this bug was fixed. Therefore, if you want to use PSI tanks, then try to use the OpenXcom Extended. https://www.openxcom.com/mod/openxcom-extended

Spend each mind probe wisely, because quantity of them is limited in the game.
Don't destroy very small scouts. Each of them has one mind probe.

Better to start a new game or, at least, use a savegame prior to researching of Psi lab.


CREDITS

Sprites of PSI armour taken from the "Personal Armor Variants 0.51" created by harald_gray: https://www.openxcom.com/mod/personal-armor-variants

All the rest was created by redv.
Use as you want:)

This mod on the OpenXcom mod portal: https://www.openxcom.com/mod/psiwar

Thanks SupSuper and all developers of OpenXcom for a perfect remake of legendary X-COM: UFO Defense.

48

Work In Progress / Re: Trouble with "requires"

« on: February 08, 2015, 06:43:32 pm »

Try to use "unlocks" keyword.

Code: [Select]

- name: STR_TESTME1
    cost: 1
    unlocks:
        - STR_TESTME_HASREQ
        - STR_TESTME_HASREQDEP
  - name: STR_TESTME2
    cost: 1
  - name: STR_TESTME_HASREQ
    cost: 1
    requires:
      - STR_TESTME1
  - name: STR_TESTME_HASDEP
    cost: 1
    dependencies:
      - STR_TESTME1
  - name: STR_TESTME_HASREQDEP
    cost: 1
    requires:
      - STR_TESTME1
    dependencies:
      - STR_TESTME2

49

Work In Progress / Re: Mod causing Snakeman Soldier to not be recovered

« on: February 05, 2015, 07:36:53 pm »

But why would the dependencies cause the issue? If it was the unlocks, that would fit, though I was indeed hoping to sell the live soldier for more than a corpse...

No dependencies. You cannot change this behavior via settings. This behavior hardcoded.
If you use the "Live alien sale" option, then this aliens will be sold automatically.

It is a good example of a bad optimization:)

50

Troubleshooting / Re: Unequal LOS - what's going on here?

« on: February 01, 2015, 04:08:29 pm »

I not forgot. I didn't knew, vanilla it or not.
I know, different LoS between two units it's by design.

I know, this situation will be in rare cases, but this three point must be:
1. must be a smoke.
2. the smoke must be different in different tiles.
3. two units should stay near diagonal line of tiles.
It happened to me in regular OpenXcom.

Then the bug in the smoke calculation leads to completely different evaluation of distance for different LoS.
For instance, one LoS can contain a bit more voxels with smoke 5 than second LoS. But second los can contain a bit more voxels with smoke 6 than first Los.
In regular OpenXcom the result will be very different, but in OpenXcom Extended this difference is extremely insignificant.

51

Troubleshooting / Re: Unequal LOS - what's going on here?

« on: February 01, 2015, 01:57:47 pm »

You are right, Markus. LoS is not equal for two selected units. Therefore in some rare cases possibly situations like this.

Another issue is a bug in calculations of density of smoke.
https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom/blob/master/src/Battlescape/TileEngine.cpp#L439
I believe the LoS issue related with the smoke issue in OpenXcom.
Smoke can be from 0 to 15 in each tile.
For instance in OpenXcom no difference between density of smoke 4 and 5, but smoke 6 denser than 5 exactly by 2 times.

How to should be: https://github.com/Yankes/OpenXcom/blob/master/src/Battlescape/TileEngine.cpp#L445

Try to use OpenXcom Extended. In this build at least the bug of smoke was fixed long time ago.
https://www.openxcom.com/mod/openxcom-extended

52

Open Feedback / Re: UFO Battlescape Damage not working as remembered

« on: October 25, 2014, 07:53:21 pm »

First of all, what is "PSs left"? Left after what?

Literally. That PSs what is left. After explosions, obviously. After explosions during generate a battle.

Second of all, there are modified UFO maps with plenty of extra PSs INITIALLY without elerium.

I know nothing about modified UFO because I never used this mod (or mods).

53

Open Feedback / Re: UFO Battlescape Damage not working as remembered

« on: October 25, 2014, 03:43:44 pm »

OK. Again.
I don't talk about events during battle.
As i said, i need to understand your position about battlegenerator. I cannot continue if i don't undertand you.

If some PSs left, then this PSs always filled by (spawned inside if you want) elerium in vanilla Xcom (during generate a battle). Is it true or not?

In OXC possible situation, when a PS left, but hasn't elerium (during generate a battle). Is it true or not?

54

Open Feedback / Re: UFO Battlescape Damage not working as remembered

« on: October 25, 2014, 02:36:22 pm »

You will regret that you dare to doubt in OpenXcom.

Glad to see you again, volutar

redv, you've stated cases 6-10 as possible in OpenXcom.
You can make debug=true in options, use Ctrl+D to reveal whole map, and make a save and put in in here. I challenge you.

As i understand, Warboy also stated that cases 6-10 is possible in OpenXcom. But he don't want talk clear about his position. I see a contradiction in his words.
Before we can continue, i need to understand your position about battlegenerator.

If some PSs left, then this PSs always filled by elerium in vanilla Xcom. Is it true or not?

In OXC possible situation, when a PS left, but hasn't elerium. Is it true or not?

Calculation of explosion differs between OXC and vanilla Xcom. Is it true or not?

55

Open Feedback / Re: UFO Battlescape Damage not working as remembered

« on: October 25, 2014, 04:50:31 am »

If all PS exploded it's not interesting case. It's trivial. No PS, no elerium.

About explosion of PS you contradict yourself.

In vanilla Xcom possible several cases:
1. Exploded only left PS.    In vanilla Xcom it kills the middle PS. Remained only right PS and 50 elerium.

2. Exploded only middle PS.    In vanilla Xcom it kills left and right PS. No PS, no elerium.

3. Exploded only right PS.    In vanilla Xcom it kills the middle PS. Remained only left PS and 50 elerium.

4. Exploded right and left PSs.    In vanilla Xcom it kills the middle PS. No PS, no elerium.

5. All PSs stays intact.    3 PS and 150 elerium.

The conclusion:
If some PSs left, then possible only three scenarios in vanilla Xcom: only the left-most PS left, only the right-most PS left, or all 3 PSs left.

You confirm it. It's good.

yes, IF SOME are left, there are only three possible scenarios, but that doesn't mean that none remaining isn't also a possibility. think about it for one second: if each power source has a 75% chance of exploding, there's a chance all three will explode. the sample they are talking about excluded that possibility, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

In the another hand, in OXC possible several more situations:
6. Exploded only left PS, but middle PS is not destroyed.    Remained 2 PSs and 50 elerium in right PS.

7. Exploded left and middle PSs, but right PS is not destroyed.    Remained 1 PSs and no elerium.

8. Exploded only middle PS, but left and right PSs is not destroyed.    Remained 2 PSs and no elerium.

9. Exploded only right PS, but middle PS is not destroyed.    Remained 2 PSs and 50 elerium in the left PS.

10. Exploded middle and right PSs, but left PS is not destroyed.    Remained 1 PSs and no elerium.

You said:

it's a possible situation in vanilla too, it's easily confirmed, hell it's included in the data table, it's literally the first entry.

But this is contradict your words above.

Cases 6-10 impossible in vanilla Xcom.
It's never happened to me. It's never happened to you. It's never happened to anyone. It's not described in ufopedia.
It's just a fact.

The conclusion:
If some PSs left, then each PS filled by elerium in vanilla Xcom.
Explosion in OXC is not 100% identical with vanilla Xcom.
Explosion in OXC has a bug by design.

By the way, in my opinion not 100% identically is not a problem in this case. Because the bug has easy workaround.

56

Open Feedback / Re: UFO Battlescape Damage not working as remembered

« on: October 25, 2014, 12:28:38 am »

It's a fact.
If some PSs left, then possible only three scenarios in vanilla Xcom.

So there are three possible scenarios with PSs left: only the left-most PS left, only the right-most PS left, or all 3 PSs left.

If some PSs left, then PSs have elerium in vanilla Xcom.
It's a fact too.

Only in OXC possible situation, when a PS left, but hav't elerium. It's by design.

For example: big explosion near a tank. The tank still untouched, but his fuel vanished. It's a bug.

Therefore if a PS undamaged but havnt an Elerium, then it's a bug by design.

57

Open Feedback / Re: UFO Battlescape Damage not working as remembered

« on: October 24, 2014, 11:09:55 pm »

yeah, it's quite common and most noticable in the supply ship... if the middle power source blows up, there will be no elerium, even if the other two remain intact, hell there's even a ufopaedia article about it...
https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=UFO_Crash_Recovery#Power_Source_Explosions_and_Elerium_Recovery

Two remain PSs isn't intact, they destroyed in vanilla Xcom.

So there are three possible scenarios with PSs left: only the left-most PS left, only the right-most PS left, or all 3 PSs left.

Therefore in vanilla Xcom all undestroyed PSs always have elerium.

But because OXC has different explosion model, possible different situations: only the left-most PS exploded, only the right-most PS exploded, or exploded only PS in the center. In this case neighboring PSs has't elerium.

Therefore OXC has a bug "by design", where even if a PS is not exploded, the PS may not have Elerium.

58

Open Feedback / Re: UFO Battlescape Damage not working as remembered

« on: October 24, 2014, 09:25:29 pm »

I thought this only happens when there are two or more Power Sources near each other and one blows up with enough power to destroy the E-115 of the other but not enough power to destroy the other Power Source.

Is it possible in vanilla Xcom?

59

Open Feedback / Re: UFO Battlescape Damage not working as remembered

« on: October 24, 2014, 08:33:02 pm »

Explosion in OXC differs significantly from vanilla Xcom. For instance in OXC explosion is 3D versus flat in vanilla Xcom.
Therefore result will be different.

The code: https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom/blob/master/src/Battlescape/TileEngine.cpp#L1119

But.
OXC has a bug "by design", where even if a PS is not exploded, the PS may not have Elerium.
In vanilla Xcom you always can get Elerium from undamaged PS.

60

Fan-Stuff / Re: A haiku

« on: October 21, 2014, 01:57:22 pm »

Glorious times, glorious battles.
All is left behind, all remains in the past.
Elerium was in each PS.