Messages

106

Released Mods / Re: [COMPILATION][RESEARCH] FMP Core/Tech Tree part

« on: July 11, 2014, 08:09:43 pm »

Thanks. I'll certainly consider this, though the main issue is when the armour would exactly appear in the game, and therefore what are its competitors (Personal Armor, or Power Suit?).

I'm not that enthusiastic about stat enhancement through biochemical agents though. The reason is the same as for enhancing psionics: this is not related to what you're wearing, so you could just as well get high on a berzerker drug and wear a Power Suit. That's why I wanted to stick to purely engineering-related reasons for enhancing Accuracy and Reactions, and just handwave it somehow saying it wouldn't be possible of a heavy armour because of butts... uh, I mean, because of a sensor array that is integrated into the suit and doesn't allow for heavy plating.

For biochemical agents, I suppose you could handwave it as the chemicals have to be slowly and continuously administered by the suit's mechanisms as large doses would be overly hazardous.

But to stick with engineering reasons, the suits could be called the Electric Suit (the first one) and Jolt Suit (the second one.) They function by stimulating muscles using small (non-harmfull) doses of electricity that keep soldiers on edge, which leads to exhaustion after a while. Because of the accelerated exhaustion, it is not recommended that soldiers with the suit carry a heavy equipment load.

As for where they fit in, I think the Jolt Suit would make a nice compliment for the Advanced Synthsuit. Their armor values are similar (both are good but not strong enough to withstand the stronger weapons with any consistency), but they serve opposite purposes, one aiding sniper style soldiers and the other one aiding scouts. The Electric Suit could compliment the basic synthsuit if I tone down the armor.

107

Released Mods / Re: [COMPILATION][RESEARCH] FMP Core/Tech Tree part

« on: July 11, 2014, 06:55:51 pm »

I've seen the armor list and it's shaping up to be very interesting. I think it's interesting to have multiple armor paths, instead of the original game where there's a very linear progression through 3 types.

Personally, I think the best way to balance an accuracy/reaction enhancing armor (which I can see you're attempting according to the armor spreadsheet) would be to have it reduce stamina and strength. In principle, the line of armor works by secreting an adrenaline-like substance which stimulates the control and reaction of muscles, but causes exhaustion to set in quickly.

Maybe something like this:

Armor 1 (non-flying):
Front: 65
Side: 55
Rear: 50
Under: 50

Stamina: -20
Bravery: 15
Reaction: 15
Accuracy: 15
Strength: -10

Armor 2 (flying):
Front: 80
Side: 70
Rear: 60
Under: 60

Stamina: -30
Health: -5 (would this reduce the maximum health or would it be applied as if the soldier was injured?)
Bravery: 25
Reaction: 25
Accuracy: 25
Strength: -20

108

Released Mods / Re: [STAT TRACKING] Soldier Diaries 1.0

« on: July 05, 2014, 04:01:22 am »

Maybe turn the Honor Cross into a six-month medal? For fighting the XCOM Campaign. 

That would create a redundancy with the Service Medal.

Also, doesn't the soldier who took a plasma blast to the face stepping off the Skyranger in their first mission deserve something for their contribution?

109

Released Mods / Re: [STAT TRACKING] Soldier Diaries 1.0

« on: July 04, 2014, 07:26:13 pm »

I got the same thing - it seems to be triggered after 3 missions?

That must be it then.

110

Released Mods / Re: [STAT TRACKING] Soldier Diaries 1.0

« on: July 04, 2014, 05:45:29 pm »

I was thinking about this - sometimes it feels that the squad is showered with medals after a mission. For instance, the Service Medal says it is received after serving many months but it seems to be awarded after a single month has passed. Overall you may want to increase the criteria so that most medals are distinctions of exceptional service and not the norm. Otherwise medals become boring after you receive tons of them after a mission.

And another suggestion is to display the full criteria for receiving the medal on the description ('awarded after serving for 3 months', 'given by killing at least 10 Sectoids', etc.) so that it's easier to figure what a soldier still needs to do to receive that medal.

Are you sure about the Service Medal? All of my soldiers get the Military Cross after the first month (as they're supposed to), but I've never seen anyone get the Service Medal after their first month.

Also, I believe one reason that some of the medals are a bit easy is that there are 9 Decoration Levels. I'm in December of my current playthrough and I don't think I've seen any of my soldiers go higher than a Third Bronze Pin. Getting medals isn't too hard, but having people live long enough to see any meaningful decoration level is a bit of rarity for me.

111

Offtopic / What do you think has caused OpenXcom to succeed?

« on: July 04, 2014, 06:37:26 am »

A quick look at the links on the OpenXcom front page reveals that a lot of Xcom fan projects have gone MIA  or were flat out cancelled over the years, many of them before making any significant progress. However, OpenXcom, after years of development, hit 1.0 (and already had dozens of mods while it was still on 0.9) and is now heading to TftD. What do you think has allowed OpenXcom to go the distance?

112

Work In Progress / Re: [Weapon] Medical Gas Grenade

« on: July 04, 2014, 06:20:56 am »

Yes - it is a stupid name - if anyone can come up with a better one, please suggest it!

Maybe "somnolent gas grenade" as a name?

113

Released Mods / Re: [ENEMY] Men in Black 3.5 | Cover Alien 2.1 | Gazer Alien 1.4

« on: July 04, 2014, 06:09:06 am »

Here's a couple of pictures from an interesting "battle on ice" terror mission against the MiB:

114

Playthroughs / Re: OpenXcom 1.0 - I lost!

« on: July 02, 2014, 05:00:32 am »

Here's a bit of advise that works for me, if you don't mind:

Did you use tanks? They can be lifesavers during the early game (literally.) They can take multiple hits and can find aliens that your soldiers can snipe from a distance.

In my opinion, you should start laying groundwork for a second base as soon as possible, usually sometime during the second month, with a third base coming a month or two after that. Three bases that are placed correctly and stocked with soldiers and crafts can get you through the game, so you can slow it down on making other bases after that, or just make future bases for radar or production purposes (though if you have the money to build up you're bases beyond that, why not?) Personally, I like having a lot of bases when I can afford it, but it's not really necessary.

Also, if you're going Ironman, pick and choose your battles. Terror missions and MiB are generally a one-way ticket to a full squad wipeout early on if you're on Ironman. Not responding to terror missions is a massive loss of points, so just show up, gun a few near your ship and get out so your soldiers will see another day until you have the guns to get through it more easily.

115

Released Mods / Re: [ENEMY] Men in Black 3.5 | Cover Alien 2.1 | Gazer Alien 1.4

« on: July 02, 2014, 04:47:28 am »

Yes, this is how OpenXCom currently works: once an alien is tagged as under fire (in other words, hit), they become aware of everything around them. If you spend more TUs behind their back, they may still react by turning and firing.

So that's how that works. I was wondering that myself.

116

Work In Progress / Re: Best mods to enhance the original game?

« on: June 29, 2014, 06:13:17 pm »

In my current playthrough, I've got robin's aliens (waspite and gazer), the MiB (with Solar's expanded armory for MiB), Solar's extra UFOs (with Solar's expanded armory), Luke's extra UFOs, Shoes' Soldier Diaries, and civilians' Terrain addons. So far, everything has been going very well.

A big game changer that isn't a mod is using UFO Extender's accuracy style. It makes auto shot far less useful in long-distance fighting and puts a much bigger emphasis on positing your soldiers for sniping, which goes along very well with weapons like Solar's plasma sniper.

117

Open Feedback / Re: Is there a way to change the size of the maps?

« on: June 27, 2014, 08:00:41 pm »

Hobbes, do you think some city housing blocks could be imported to the farm terrain to provide more versatility? (After all, the farmers must live somewhere.)

I am not sure ho OpenXCom handles mcd files, and if it can have more than 255 objects at the same map.

The MiB mod does this pretty well; sometimes you get the traditional farm, other times you get sort of a suburb with a few houses and buildings from the urban terrain.

118

Work In Progress / Re: Soldier stat editor?

« on: June 25, 2014, 09:08:51 am »

There's a pretty easy way to change the stats of incoming soldiers without a mod; you can easily edit the ruleset to get better soldiers. Just look for this section here in the ruleset:

soldiers:
  - type: XCOM
    minStats:
      tu: 50
      stamina: 40
      health: 25
      bravery: 10
      reactions: 30
      firing: 40
      throwing: 50
      strength: 20
      psiStrength: 0
      psiSkill: 0
      melee: 20
    maxStats:
      tu: 60
      stamina: 70
      health: 40
      bravery: 60
      reactions: 60
      firing: 70
      throwing: 80
      strength: 40
      psiStrength: 100
      psiSkill: 16
      melee: 40
    statCaps:
      tu: 80
      stamina: 100
      health: 60
      bravery: 100
      reactions: 100
      firing: 120
      throwing: 120
      strength: 70
      psiStrength: 100
      psiSkill: 100
      melee: 120
    armor: STR_NONE_UC
    standHeight: 22
    kneelHeight: 14
    genderRatio: [3, 1]


While it won't change soldiers you already have, you can easily raise the minimums and maximums for the stats for rookies coming in and set the caps for each stat.

119

Offtopic / Re: X-com sell on the same week that OpenXcom and Xenonauts come out - Coincidence?

« on: June 21, 2014, 07:11:05 am »

we need a forum icon for tinfoil hats

Actually, I had intended this as a sort of a joke topic.

120

Released Mods / Re: [STAT TRACKING] Soldier Diaries 1.0

« on: June 20, 2014, 06:16:13 pm »

I've been playing the campaign with this mod and the only issue I could find regarding base defense is that is listed as "Undisclosed Location" in the Mission Stats page.

X-com facilities are so secret that not even X-com knows where they're at.