Topics

16

OXCE Support / UFO shield role in fighting against base defense

« on: December 26, 2023, 12:31:48 am »

Looking at the code for base shooting attacking UFO. It seems that the UFO shield is straightforward added to damage capacity. No shield recharge, bleed through, or any other dogfight like parameters are used. Did I get it right?

Code: [Select]

if (_ufo->getShield() > 0)
{
int shieldDamage = dmg;
dmg = std::max(0, dmg - _ufo->getShield());
_ufo->setShield(_ufo->getShield() - shieldDamage);
}
_ufo->setDamage(_ufo->getDamage() + dmg, _game->getMod());


17

OXCE Builds & Ports / How to compile 64bit exe in Visual Studio?

« on: December 25, 2023, 03:50:27 am »

I see you managed to compile it 64 bit. Congratulation!

- Latest version for Windows (zip 64-bit), recommended (v2023-12-16): download

Any clue how to do it properly in visual studio?

18

Brutal AI / Grenade shortcut

« on: December 25, 2023, 01:18:20 am »

I think I saw this topic somewhere but not sure if it got implemented.

Would it be nice to have a key that takes grenade into hand and primes it? Optionally even switch to throw mode.
Different key for different grenade types: smoke, flair, and others.

Probably typical keys for other inventory that has same repetitive actions: scanner, medi-kit, alien detector?
With key it will be just grab and use, no need to get into inventory.

19

Brutal AI / Some weird visibility bug?

« on: December 25, 2023, 01:14:15 am »

Save attached. Press Alt and see detected alien location in front of the tank. Try to move it right at this location. It won't be able to since alien is staying there but it won't see it being adjacent to it. Only after few turns around itself the alien is revealed.
I also noticed the same when I uncovering map. Some dark tiles are not getting uncovered even when I am adjacent to them and am looking right at them. Only after turning around the axis they somehow get revealed.
I noticed this with tanks but not soldiers.

I am playing forked BAI but for now it should be identical. I just updated it to be the same and compiled.

20

Brutal AI / Base info QoL improvements

« on: December 25, 2023, 12:25:23 am »

Base info defense strength is quite unusable for player. It shows only summary nominal defense strength. Actual damage and hit probability varies with defense type involving complex computations. I doubt anyone uses it for evaluating base defense sufficiency. Moreover, Dreadnaught has 3400 damage capacity but the bar is just up to 1200 strength, which is obviously much below what is needed.

Would it be appealing for players to display more relevant information there? Assuming only largest UFO assaults base, it would be interesting to see the probability of total defense power combined to shot it down. This will be very useful info as player would be able to estimate current defense sufficiency and/or trade-off between higher probability and construction/maintenance cost. It will also visually fit the bar space nicely (0 to 100%).

In the same vein it would be probably more informative to display radar detection chances in detection info. Who cares how many radars one has if the detection chance need to be taken from the ruleset and then computed to give an answer.

21

OXCE Support / [Solved] Why is first TFTD terror mission usually Gillmen?

« on: December 24, 2023, 09:19:58 pm »

Curious why first terror mission is usually Gillmen?

22

Brutal AI / Alternative ufopedia armor display

« on: December 22, 2023, 05:46:10 pm »

Now when you adopted numbers right alignment in lists, I am thinking whether it makes sense to make this alternative display on by default?
I am NOT pushing for it and creating a global option to switch it would be a piece of cake. However, this is just a display style with:

1) Armor stats list occupies whole article height ONLY IF the info text is empty. Meaning it won't change its position for existing human armor and tanks articles leaving place for the info as it is now.
2) Stats numbers are right aligned.
3) Scrollbar is inside of the page to indicate the list has more lines below.

The #1 does not change the look of existing articles.
The #2 is already widely adopted in your mod.
The #3 is the only thing that visually changes existing articles and I can revert it to OXCE state - absolutely not important for me. I added it just for standardization purposes since ALL other lists in the game have their scrollbar visible.

23

OXCE Support / [Answered] Does the smoke get double thicker if I explode two smoke grenades in same place?

« on: December 22, 2023, 05:18:08 pm »

Does the smoke get double thicker if I explode two smoke grenades in same place? Or is it by the max one?

24

Help / Correct way to introduce new string variable

« on: December 21, 2023, 05:04:15 pm »

What is the easiest and/or more correct way to introduce new translatable string variable?
There are few language files: one in common/Language others are in standard/xcom1, standard/xcom2, etc.

1. Where should this variable go?
2. Do I need to add it to ALL translation files at once? Would it harm them if not?
3. An easy tool to insert it to multiple translation files or it is a manual modder chore?

Thank you.

25

OXCE Suggestions Archive / [Suggestion] Unique UFO numbering

« on: December 17, 2023, 05:52:55 am »

Would it be possible to assign a unique number to every spawned UFO and then use it everywhere in mission type and info dialogs?
For example, UFO #3, landing site #3, crash site #3, etc. This way I can understand if this is same UFO landed that I tried to shoot previously.

26

Work In Progress / Simple shooting system

« on: December 17, 2023, 04:40:34 am »

There are a lot of complexity in vanilla shooting system. There is even more in OXCE and mods. Anybody tried to implement something very very simple? If not, I am about to.
Ever feeling that game is not telling you everything when your soldier hits adjacent target nine times out of ten with displayed 10% accuracy? No more.

In short. Shooter tries to shoot a specific point. Actual directional angle is deviated from the desired line due to shooter not perfect accuracy. Then projectile flies along the line and hits something. The end.
The spread is angular. Higher accuracy narrows it down. Actual chance to hit is computed on the fly and is displayed on the target the same exactly way it is done in OXCE "realistic accuracy" UI now.

This immediately solves tons of other problems multitude of accuracy mods are trying to achieve.
1. Chance to hit naturally falls with distance. No more need for extender accuracy dropoff. It just happens by itself.
2. Chance to hit naturally raises to near 100% at some distance and closer. No more need for close quarter combat adjustments.
3. Object exposure is naturally taken into account. The flying object can hit the obstacle on the way. No need to adjust computations.
4. No need for accuracy cap or it could be set to quite high values. Higher accuracy proportionally increases confident hit distance but not to infinity.

27

OXCE Support / [Solved] Any ruleset to configure end month scoring / pleasure / funding increase?

« on: December 16, 2023, 11:08:24 pm »

Any ruleset to configure end month scoring affecting funding organization pleasure and corresponding funding increase? I feel like is is always excellent. Want to add some challenge there.

28

Brutal AI / Graphs notifications or improvement

« on: December 16, 2023, 11:00:44 pm »

Graphs is a real UFO tracking tool! It shows you alien activity in not radar covered zone. An absolute life saver especially at higher difficulties when each score point matters.
Essentially, this is open information given to player. However, at times, it is difficult to visually extract it. Here is the proposal for QoL feature graphs improvement.

Now I am calling it QoL because in my experience all information I need is there it is just annoying to advance clocks by seconds and keep notepad and pencil ready to record these numbers over and over again. Let me know if you think it changes strategic game play. And, as always, it could be off by default if anyone does not like it.

Feature:
Alert player when UFO activity in region continues for considerable period of time assuming UFO reached its target region, not just passing by.
The time threshold or activity threshold and reminder frequency is up to configuration.
Also could be configured for activity happening outside of radar coverage to not annoy player late game.

29

OXCE Support / Font editor

« on: December 16, 2023, 07:46:58 pm »

Any good tool to edit font files and keep them in relatively same format?
I tried GIMP but was not sure what option should I keep while exporting to PNG to make it look like original one.

30

OXCE Support / [Answered] Deployment ease

« on: December 16, 2023, 06:33:11 pm »

Not sure if this is a suggestion or a question or a discussion.

Initial deployment seems to be the riskiest part of the mission. Only one or two units can shoot out of the door, smoke is not there yet, flares are not there yet, and the rest of the team cannot support only two front units taking all hellfire on themselves.

When player is lucky is it pretty easy. However, when two three Xarquids are hovering against transport door it is a pure nightmare. Player easily can lose half of the squad easily not even getting soldiers out of the belly of the transport.

My point is that this part is least tactical. Player don't have option to maneuver how they like or apply they own tactical style. It is just: get the hell out of the transport and then assume a formation.

Would it be nice to give both human and aliens couple of turns to prepare? I am not sure how to do it, though.
Some wild thoughts:
- Place aliens not closer than N tiles from transport.
- Strip aliens from TU on turn one so they at least don't reaction shoot.
- Place smoke around the transport at land site immediately at landing.