Topics

16

Suggestions / Changes of Psionics: New Powers and Cooldowns

« on: April 30, 2014, 06:28:03 pm »

I'd like to see a mod that rebalances psionics by adding two new powers and cooldowns on all powers.
Cooldown on Old Powers (each psionic power can be used once per turn)
Mind Control: 3 Turns
Psi Panic: 2 turns
New powers:
1. Mindfray: an offensive psionic power, the target must take a psionic test. Failure will result in health damage, ignoring armor, based on a roll taking into account the psionic strength of the victim and the psionic skill & strength of the user. The health damage also results in reduced stats and soldiers that have taken health damage from mindfray will require time for wound recovery. Mindfray deals no fatal wounds, but it does reduce the target's Psionic Strength for one turn. Cooldown is 3 turns.
2. Psi Inspiration: a psionic buff on a friendly target, this power will restore the target's morale. This power will also improve the soldier's bravery and psi strength for one turn. This power will never fail and the effects are based on the user's psionic strength and skill. Cooldown is 2 turns.

17

Suggestions / Possible New Faction: Terrorist Organization known as Aeon Alliance

« on: November 22, 2013, 04:17:38 am »

I thought that there could be a mod that adds a new enemy faction: a human terrorist organization known as the Aeon Alliance, rivals of XCOM. They in some ways resemble EXALT in XCOM Enemy Within, as they have sought cooperation with the aliens while steering clear of them while undermining XCOM. However, the Aeon are generally more violent and are of a more brutal agenda than EXALT as they sometimes would decide to launch an attack on a major city, lashing out at innocent civilians there and if enough Aeon Craft was shot down, assault an XCOM base. They claim themselves to be cast out from humanity and see the aliens as their salvation and the rest of the human race their enemy. Of course, Aeons share a similar behavior to aliens. At the beginning of the game, after you place your first base, the Aeon place their first base in a country not containing an XCOM Base.

Aeon soldiers are similar to XCOM soldiers, and share hair and skin color for both male and female. However, Aeon soldiers are dressed in Red sleeveless shirts and black pants and shoes for no armor; and black boots and gloves, red pants and shirt with black armor pads for equivalence of personal armor. For power suits and flying suits, Aeon soldiers wear red colored power suits with a black helmet of different shape.

Aeon soldiers are statistically similar to XCOM soldiers, and mid-game deploy psionic soldiers. The Aeon uses generally the same weapons XCOM uses, conventional weapons early on, laser weapons after some time, then plasma weapons late game. They also use various grenades and explosives and medkits. Aeon soldiers generally are affected by fatal wounds the same way XCOM soldiers are. Overall, Aeon troops are generally trained to the standards of XCOM soldiers and their primary weakness among the alien enemies is their bravery; after all they are human.

Aeon Bases are generally composed of the same modules as XCOM bases, randomly generated during XCOM raid on them. For that, attacking an Aeon base resembles XCOM base defense, but with XCOM soldiers being the attack and the Aeon soldiers the defender.

Aeon craft from weakest to strongest:
Fighter
Gunship
Transport
Heavy Fighter
Advanced Gunship
Assault Transport

Aeon missions include:
Hacking (craft lands near XCOM base to slow down research while landed)
Propoganda (spread propoganda in a country to pressure it to reduce funding)
Diplomacy (attempt to convince a sponsor to sign a pact with the aliens and withdraw from the project)
Harrassment (launch a terror attack on a major city)
Expansion (set up a new Aeon Base)
Assault (attack an XCOM base)

If the Aeon's last base is taken out, the Aeon will be officially wiped out and will no longer be able to conduct operations for the rest of the game.

18

Suggestions / Loss messages after reports

« on: September 03, 2013, 11:07:30 pm »

I have an idea of which there are different loss messages for different ways of defeat, which appear after clicking ok on the monthly report screen. Each ways has its own message:

2 consecutive poor or terrible ratings: (The Usual) "You have failed to stop the alien invasion. One by one the funding nations sign pacts with the aliens promising technology, prosperity and peace. However it soon becomes clear that the aliens have other plans..."

Unable to erase debt of over $1 mil over 2 months: " Your mismanagement has ruined X-COM. One by one the funding nations sign pacts with the aliens promising technology, prosperity and peace. However it soon becomes clear that the aliens have other plans..."

8 or more countries sign pacts with aliens: "Alien infiltrations have taken their toll. The remaining funding nations sign pacts with the aliens promising technology, prosperity and peace. However it soon becomes clear that the aliens have other plans..."

All bases annexed by the aliens: "The fall of your last base signals the end of X-COM and leaves humanity at the mercy of the aliens. Without the knowledge from the X-COM research project, the aliens encounter little resistance in their final assault on Earth..."

Defeated at Mars: "The Mars operation was a failure. The aliens soon launch a massive retaliatory invasion of earth, too much for even X-COM to handle. Soon all of Earth is overwhelmed and X-COM wiped out..."

19

Suggestions / Some things i expect in an OpenXcom for TFTD

« on: August 11, 2013, 11:30:40 pm »

Since TFTD uses the same engine as UFO Defense, I have a few things I would like to see for TFTD. While most of it is from OpenXcom of UFO Defense, I'm listing a few things that are for TFTD:

1. Land Alien Craft Battles: You cannot shoot down alien subs while they are on the surface, but you can assault alien subs that have touched down on land. This should trigger a land craft assault using environment depending on the location on land, some environments borrowed from UFO Defense. If the craft that has landed on the ground is a Battleship or Dreadnought, you will expect to face land terror units associated with aliens. And as with all land battles, your aquanauts will have their helmets off and can't use water only weapons.

2. Land Alien Colony Battles: Some alien colonies are placed on land, and launching an assault will trigger a two-stage battle on land with alien structures unchanged from the vanilla version. Both outside and interior are on the surface and you will expect land terror units and be unable to use water-only weapons.

3. Final Phase of T-Leth Assault: When you reach the third stage of the assault, there will be a message saying: (You cannot save in the middle of this final battle. Do you wish to save at the beginning now? [Yes] [No]). Yes will take you to the save screen.

4. Tentaculats: The Chryssalid of TFTD now appears on land and water, sometimes on alien surface (terror) attacks, turning humans into zombies. On land, however, tentaculalts cannot fly.

5. Sonic Pistols: These weapons should in OpenXcom have the autofire function as well as aimed and snap, but the Sonic Blasta Rifle and Cannon remain with just snap and aimed. Aliens may overwatch with these with snap or auto.

6. SWSs are now vulnerable to stun: SWSs take .7x from stun weapons, but if dealt enough stun damage, the SWS will cease to function until the stun wears off enough. If the battle is won before the stun wears off, the SWS will be recovered and can be used again.

7. Gauss Cannon separate ammo: The Colecanth/Gauss and the Craft Gauss Cannon each use their own ammo, both of same cost. The Colecanth/Gauss uses Gauss Shells and the Craft Gauss Cannon uses Craft Gauss Shells.

8. Human deaths screams: I would like there to be the usual death scream for male humans and a different new death scream for female humans.

20

Suggestions / Damage Numbers

« on: August 09, 2013, 03:18:51 am »

I was thinking of a possible feature in OpenXcom: damage number appearing over characters, though in XCOM style. This applies to health damage as if a unit takes damage, a -(#) will appear his or her sprite. Shots that are blocked by the character's armor are denounced as (Resist). If a character takes enough stun damage, (Stun) appears over head and if a character is killed, (Dead!) appears over head.

Initially, damage numbers will only appear over soldiers and civilians, but damage numbers will appear over aliens who have been scanned by the mind probe even once. Stun and Dead! will still appear over aliens, even not scanned.

21

Suggestions / The Foundry and some projects

« on: August 02, 2013, 09:43:11 pm »

I thought of a new base structure, the foundry, a structure that uses both scientists and engineers to upgrade and improve various things. The Foundry requires and equal number of scientist and engineers, up to 50 of each. Various projects may require money (all), alien alloys, elerium, alien corpses, UFO Power Sources and Navigations, and others. 1% of the required materials is deducted for every 1% completion while other resources are deducted at percentage intervals. The foundry requires research of Experimental Warfare, a new tech available at the beginning.

Some of the foundry projects incluede:
Improved Coveralls: increases armor of coveralls (no armor) to F20/S15/B10/U10, leaving soldiers slightly less vulnerable in the field. A cheap and early upgrade.
Rapid Recovery: Soldier wound recovery times are halved due to improved medical tools and methods.
Chinitin Plating: requiring Chrssalid Corpses, this changes damage modifier from melee attacks to 1.1 for coveralls, .9 for personal armor, and .8 for power suit and flying suit and tank. This also causes Chryssalid attacks to ignore 80% of the armor instead of full for soldiers and tanks.
Advanced Craft Hybrid Fueling: this causes the Firestorm, the Lightning, and Avenger to use 50% less elerium for fueling without changing fuel range or refuel time. The other 50% is earth fuel.
Scanner Friend/Foe Recognition: motion scanners now represent soldier and tank movement as blue dots instead of yellow.
Improved Power Generators: this reduces facility maintenance by 10%, as generators are made more efficient so less of them are needed to provide the same amount of power.
Improved Psionic Training: increases rate soldiers improve their Psi Skill at a psi lab by 25%.
Improved Engineering: Every 5 engineers at a workshop contributes 6 engineer hours to the project, reducing time need to manufacture items. This does not affect space needed to produce the item.
Improved Research: Every 5 Scientists at a laboratory contributes 6 scientist hours to the project, speeding up research significantly.
Rifle Scopes: Increases Accuracy of Aimed Shot for Rifle, Laser Rifle, and Plasma Rifle by 10%.
Improved Stun Rods: The stun rod has a 25% increase in effectiveness.
HWP Anti-Plasma Shields: Tanks and hovertanks take .8 damage from plasma weapons, the primary damage from aliens.
Rapid Craft Repair: craft repair times are reduced by 25% thanks to new improvements in repairing tools and machinery.
Quick Craft Reload: craft reload times are reduced by 25%.
Launcher Rapid Reload: reloading a rocket launcher or a blaster launcher requires 33% less time units thanks to automatic loading systems.
Proximity Grenade Recognition: proximity grenades are no longer triggered by your units or civilians, they are only triggered by enemies.
Secondary Defensive Systems: whenever a base defense installation misses an incoming UFO, the installation fires again at a free shot, but at a 50% accuracy penalty. The only applies once, even with grav shields. Only one of the the strongest base defenses can fire its free shot.
Nano-Fiber Vests: all soldiers have armor increased by 5 all round.
Tactical Rigging: TU cost for moving items from and to backpack, belt, shoulders, and legs decreased by 25% (rounded down, minimum of 1).
Improved Medkits: medkits have been augmented - Pain killer morale restore increased by 25%; Stimulant effect on stun increased by 25%, and heal has a 25% chance to remove two fatal wounds and recover 100% more health for one charge.
UFO Tracking Systems: UFO takes longer to outrun the X-COM craft.
UFO Targeting Systems: the first shot/volley fired on the UFO that would normally miss will hit.
Craft Evasion Systems: forces one UFO shot that would otherwise destroy the X-COM craft to miss.
Advanced Construction: grants the option to build facilities at double initial cost and half the time required.
Elerium Ammo Efficiency: ammunition that would require elerium will require 1 less to manufacture for each unit.
Improved Mind Probe: the mind probe requires 20% less time units to scan.
Tank-Auto Repair Systems: tanks can regenerate health by 8 per turn up to 50% of its max health, restoring lost stats up to that point.
New Blood: recruits come with a minimum established for all of a soldier's statistics. Current soldiers with stats below that minimum are raised to that level.
Wet Work: increases the rate soldiers gain skills by 25%.
Vengeance: whenever a soldier dies or a HWP is destroyed, nearby soldiers receive a bonus to firing accuracy, melee accuracy, throwing accuracy, and reactions for 2 turns. This effect can stack.

22

Suggestions / New Craft Weapon: EMP Cannon

« on: July 20, 2013, 02:52:15 am »

I though of a new weapon for the crafts: the EMP Cannon. You need to research New Fighter Transporter to Unlock the EMP cannon. The EMP Cannon is manufactured in the workshop, requiring 25 Elerium and $275,000 for the weapon and has a limit of 9 shots, recharged for free. The EMP Cannon is a unique weapon, has a rather short range but always hits and does nearly as much damage as the fusion ball launcher, 200 to be exact. Also, the EMP cannon will never completely destroy a UFO, not even the smallest one as it is used to disrupt electronics of the craft. Any UFO downed by an EMP cannon is more likely to be intact as the only real damage is from the crash, and thus, you'll find more resources and more live aliens.

23

Offtopic / Main Infiltration Waves Stopped?

« on: July 10, 2013, 02:59:30 am »

While I was playing OpenXcom, a few infiltration main waves appeared (Terror ship, supply ship, battleship), and of course, I shot down all infiltration craft quickly before the second battleship should have arrived (second battleship=pact is sealed). One of them, over Brazil, had what I thought to be the second pact sealing battleship appear in Earth's atmosphere over USA but was shot down. I'm surprised that despite these waves, no country has signed a pact with the aliens by the end of the game. Ufopaedia says that once the main infiltration wave begins the pact process, it cannot be stopped, only delayed by shooting down craft before the second battleship arrives. That's not what happened when I played the game.

Perhaps the pact is sealed if the second battleship is not shot down before reaching the infiltrated country.

24

Suggestions / Detailed Soldier Obituaries

« on: July 02, 2013, 10:14:01 pm »

I thought of a change in a reminder of when a soldier dies which adds an option to tell you how he/she died. There is a list of messages that pop up in regards to the cause of death:

Killed by:
Sectoid: "Soldier was slain by a Sectoid."
Cyberdisc shot and explosion: "Soldier was blasted by a Cyberdisc."
Floater: "Soldier was brought down by a Floater."
Reaper: "Soldier was chewed up by a Reaper."
Snakeman: "Soldier was slithered to death by a Snakeman."
Chryssalid: "Soldier was zombified by a Chryssalid."
Ethereal: "Soldier was destroyed by an Ethereal.
Sectopod: "Soldier was annihilated by a Sectopod."
Muton: "Soldier was smashed by a Muton."
Celatid: "Soldier is not meant to withstand a Celatid's acid!"
Silacoid: "Soldier was crushed by a Silacoid."
Zombie: "Soldier was bitten down by a Chryssalid's Zombie."

Grenade: "Soldier was blown apart by a grenade."
Fire: "Soldier was roasted by an open flame."
Friendly fire or mind controlled soldier: "Soldier died in a friendly fire incident."
Mindfray: "Soldier was mind-blasted to death."
Blaster Launcher: "Soldier was pulverized by a Blaster Launcher."

For standard obituaries in regards to tanks"

Tank/Weapon has been wrecked.
Hovertank/Weapon has been shot down.

25

Suggestions / Panic in relation with Alien Infiltration

« on: July 02, 2013, 09:52:34 pm »

I was thinking of the panic system with similarities from XCOM Enemy Unknown. Each country has a panic level indicated by a percentage in Funding. Panic determines the country's willingness to support the project. Completing missions, having a base within borders, and shooting down certain alien craft will lower panic, while failing certain missions or letting certain craft escape will increase it. At the start of the game, depending on difficulty from easiest to hardest, panic starts at 40%-45%-50%-55%-60%. The higher the panic, the more likely an infiltration will occur and even succeed and the country will sign a pact with the aliens follow an infiltration. Also, if the panic level reaches 95%-90%-85%-80%-75% in a country, there is a good chance the country will suspend funding until panic lowers 5% below the line. During that time the country suspends funding, the aliens are more likely to infiltrate that country.

50% panic is equivalent to without in regards of aliens starting infiltrations.

Suspension message reads:
"(Country's name) is particularly dissatisfied with your innabilitiy do deal with alien activity within their borders and has regrettably decided to withdraw from the project until performance improves."

Return message reads:
"(Country's name) is pleased with your overall performance improvement and has agreed to fund the Xcom project again."

Infiltration attempt failure due to low panic message reads:
"(Country's name) have rejected a pact with the aliens and have refused to withdraw from the project because of your high overall performance."

I was thinking that option would be listed as Nation Panic.

26

Suggestions / Modified Psionic as an option

« on: July 02, 2013, 03:38:00 am »

I was thinking that there should be a few modifications for psionics for both aliens and soldiers, listed as Modified Psionics:

New Psionic Power: Mindfray: an offensive psionic power that deals damage to the target's health and reduces the target's stats (including tu's, energy, reactions, firing, throwing, and melee accuracy, bravery, psionic strength, and psionic skill) if the target fails a psionic test. Successful test means no effect. The penalty to all stats last 1 turn and can be stacked by multiple mindfrays, but the duration does not change. If blasted enough times, mindfray can kill the target. Mindfray has a slightly higher success chance than mind control.

All Psionic Powers now have a cooldown, longer if used on a person out of sight, and each power can be used no more than once per turn.
Psi Panic Cooldown (1 turn, 2 turns if used against someone out of sight)
Mind Control (Failure: 1 turn, 2 turns if used against someone out of sight) (Success: 2 turns, 3 turns if used against someone out of sight)
Mindfray (1 turn, 3 turns if used against someone out of sight)
This makes it so the aliens that keep mindblasting your remembered position observe waiting periods, and makes the AI more likely to use psionic powers when within sight.

Since it's easier to channel psionic powers against targets that are in sight, the user is more likely to succeed if he/she/it has visual on the enemy.