Messages

106

Work In Progress / Re: [HELP] "blastRadius" and low values ?

« on: March 01, 2014, 05:27:53 pm »

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as evenly-expanding explosion on a tiled map goes, there is no middle ground between 3x3 and 1x1, so what exactly do you want? If you don't want the blast, just change the damage type to something else.

A one square explosion is fine..(Its flavor)...its just does no damage.  I think his issue is that it ignores the power (damage) if not HE (or stun, as you mentioned).

107

Work In Progress / Re: [HELP] "blastRadius" and low values ?

« on: March 01, 2014, 04:01:30 pm »

Actually, it appears to be a bug (or a feature?  ).

If you set blast radius at all, it only does damage if the damage type is high explosive.  Any other damage type using blast radius gives visual effect, but does no damage, and does not scorch tiles.  I was noticing this with a mod I was working on yesterday.

108

Work In Progress / Re: Another tech tree thread.

« on: February 28, 2014, 07:50:29 pm »

My only thought as I digest your ideas is that you prefer some bio-mechanical aspect to manufacturing weapons, psionic tech, etc. 

Personally:  I've never enjoyed that.

If your idea is to perhaps slow down research and manufacturing, make it requirements tougher...thats different.  I still wouldn't suggest live aliens though.  Just can't picture a muton showing our scientiest how to use a blaster launcher.  Just can't picture it...at least, not in a way that benefits the scientist's desire for a long life. 

I do agree on the Hyperwave decoder as well as the alien containment. 

The live cyberdisc is a full on effort that must be undertaken very early in the game, or you will miss your window to do so for many more months as tougher alien races assault the earth.  To stun a cyberdisk takes deliberate effort and great determination.  You must be willing to sacrifice lives to do it.  To have XCOM plan such an op in January first terror mission or even in February is tough.  March is possible.  But then the window cracks and floaters start scratching.  The greatest window is if Sectoids establish a base.  Too many variables for a hover HWP. 

Now, what is quite possible is to make the Hover HWP consume a cyberdisc in order to manufacture.  Thats completely feasible.  Even the flying suit could require a floater corpse.

109

Work In Progress / Re: items with 2 or more battleType's?

« on: February 27, 2014, 02:14:28 am »

Moriarty or whoever...was this last request ever implemented?

110

Work In Progress / Waypoints: Boolean or Integer

« on: February 20, 2014, 07:42:29 am »

Noticed that the waypoint system is only a boolean flag.  I read in a long forgotten post that waypoint field was changed from boolean to integer.  However, I'm not finding it in the ruleset reference anywhere stating how one can set the number of way points. 

For reference:
https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=1533.msg14547#msg14547

111

Work In Progress / Re: Overiding weapon fields with ammo fields: Firesound

« on: February 20, 2014, 07:38:11 am »

Does what it says on the tin!  LOL!  Awesome.

112

Offtopic / Re: What mod you use ;)

« on: February 19, 2014, 04:38:56 am »

No offense, but it took me 3 seconds to find the Mind Missile using this forum's search engine: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,1642.msg15140.html#msg15140
The rest is probably as easy to find.

Offense taken.  Grrr!  LOL!
I'm new to the board.  Thanks.

I find that when someone starts a statement with "no offense, but...blah blah"...well...it resembles me.   

113

Suggestions / Re: Make Dual Wielding Useful

« on: February 19, 2014, 03:26:35 am »

Dual wielding, I think, qualifies for the advanced options menu because we can draw some reasonable conjectures as to the exact nature of its mechanics. We can assume that it would be restricted to single hand weapons only, that it would have the same penalty as using a two handed weapon with no free hands (20 percent), and that obviously aimed shots would not be possible. Pretty much anything else oversteps the line of conjecture.

I totally agree.  I go a step further and say the two one handed weapons must be identical.  No Magnum and a stun gun, or a laser pistol and a pistol.  Keep it simple.

114

Suggestions / Re: Make Dual Wielding Useful

« on: February 17, 2014, 03:52:29 pm »

Agreed...too complicated.  Whether Akimbo is accomplished with sequential fire or not is inconsequential.  Your end effect in a turn consisting of "X number of seconds" is the same:  Z number of bullets in the air.    All we can have technically is seeing one sprite fire after another, after another, etc.  Thats visually satisfying.  I love hearing a nice staccato, myself.

If any of you are familiar with Necromunda?  Its squad (gang) based 40K.  In that game the mechanic that is accomplished during a spray and pray is to force your enemy to duck his head, drop to the ground, etc when you shoot wild like that.  They spend their time dealing with the rain of lethal weapons and less on offense.  In XCOM, I'd love to see such an action damage morale or even their TUs in someway. 

Actually, -THAT- would be perfect!  Damage their TUs as well as damage them.  Do the chance to hit (reduced accuracy or whatever) as normal but it -ALSO- reduces their TUs!  Meaning, a Muton on overwatch with a bank of TUs for reaction fire loses a quantity of them!  That adds a nice element and a way to deal with spotting someone on reaction TUs in the bank. 

Same mechanic could be smartly applied to the minigun whenever you target someone...

Even superman pauses and loses the initiative when shot by a hail of bullets...even if its just to brag. 

115

Suggestions / Re: [CORE] Research affecting ruleset

« on: February 17, 2014, 03:19:14 pm »

I do like the idea and did something similar in an aftermod.   

I allowed research of depleted uranium.  This allowed creation of DU AP Slugs and shells for the shotgun and the tank.  I simply changed the damage type of the weapon to laser.  Allows for continued use of the shotgun post February, as well as the tank.  (I normally bypass Laser tanks with HV Plasma tanks.  Allows conventional tanks to stay of value a bit longer.)

I could see the value in research that upgrades Medi-Kits and existing armor.  I'm doing a current mod that creates a range of batteries for man portable laser weapons.  Thats based on research done that affects research, bringing the laser which requires no ammo, to a series of new batteries that up its value based on alien tech research...extending its combat value in exchange for the "no ammo required" boon.  Having some difficulties with that mod though. 

116

Suggestions / Re: Make Dual Wielding Useful

« on: February 17, 2014, 04:06:07 am »

Hey...I bar no one.  I'm just a voice calling from the desert saying "balance, balance!"

I'm a firm believer in balanced game mechanics.  When an aspect of a good game goes off kilter because of a bad mechanic, the game moves that much closer to recycle bin.  Not saying that will happen to XCOM, but...it did.  So many aspects of TFTD moved it to the recycle bin.  They took the framework of XCOM and doubled down...but doubled down in some of the wrong areas.  Made it incredibly brutal, made it incredibly tedious, doubled down on the need to micromanage even more...and lost it.  I was in my late 20s when XCOM came out.  Do the math.  I remember pulling a copy off the shelf and watching a sales guy grimace at the game while saying to me it was nigh unplayable. 

But I do digress.  Again...I bar no one.  I think its a great idea, just, imo, it would be great to find the sweet spot on the idea.  Hell, it would require a code change to do.  So its fantasy on top of fantasy at this point...but very doable.  Clearly their is criteria for knowing if a weapon is two handed when fired and if a second weapon is present.  A simple condition of if both hands have the exact same weapon item, and they are both one handed, allow the option "Akimbo" to display in addition to the firing options.  if Akimbo is selected, then do attacks as normal for both weapons, reduced for accuracy.  Or simpler even further...if condition is met and Akimbo is selected, double TU cost and fire both weapons per normal with a bonus of % morale damage for each successive hit out of the grouping. 

117

Released Mods / Re: [STAT TRACKING] Soldier Diaries

« on: February 17, 2014, 03:37:58 am »

To be honest, I don't know how to distribute this ;p I've made source code changes, so it is more than just a ruleset mod. As such, you need to download the executable. But maybe you also need to download the new art assets I made? Now that people are showing interest, maybe I should renew my efforts :3

Did you make your change based on the most latest source, or is it old source with changes made long ago?  Makes a big difference and might explain why it did not work for the OP.  You've got folks interested.  Spot lights on you, Shoes!

118

Work In Progress / Re: Overiding weapon fields with ammo fields: Firesound

« on: February 17, 2014, 03:18:23 am »

Ok...my post must be confusing folks.  What I'm playing with is the idea of recoverable battery that goes with laser weapons.  However, your engineers can rig a battery to output exponentially more power based on certain research actions accomplished.  So I wanted to play with the experience.  The rigged batteries will various properties.  One will get rigged with elerium (consume) to output damage comparable plasma rifle (not hvy rifle).    Another jury rig will up the damage if alien alloy is utilized (consumed) in its construction.  Another rig, this one, basically blows things up like a turbolaser.  I just want to vary the player experience with each jury rigged battery utilized.

So include an exhibit A for consumption:

items:
  - type: STR_RIGGED_LASER_BATTERY
    size: 0.1
    costBuy: 0
    costSell: 350
    weight: 2
    bigSprite: 123
    floorSprite: 92
    fireSound: 104
    hitSound: 105 
    hitAnimation: 36
    power: 95
    damageType: 3
    clipSize: 4
    battleType: 2
    armor: 50
    recover: true
    listOrder: 2209
  - type: STR_LASER_BATTERY
    size: 0.1
    costBuy: 500
    costSell: 350
    weight: 2
    bigSprite: 123
    floorSprite: 92
    fireSound: 11
    hitSound: 19
    hitAnimation: 36
    power: 46
    damageType: 4
    clipSize: 99
    battleType: 2
    armor: 50
    recover: true
    listOrder: 2208
  - type: STR_LASER_PISTOL
    fireSound: 104
    bulletSprite: 5
    compatibleAmmo:
      - STR_LASER_BATTERY
      - STR_RIGGED_LASER_BATTERY
extraSprites:
  - type: BIGOBS.PCK
    files:
      123: Resources/lasertech/battery_pack.gif
  - type: FLOOROB.PCK
    files:
      92: Resources/lasertech/floorob_ammo.gif
extraSounds:
  - type: BATTLE.CAT
    files:
      104: Resources/lasertech/Overcharged_Laser.wav
      105: Resources/lasertech/Overcharged_laser_hit.wav

119

Open Feedback / Re: Remove the limit of 80 items?

« on: February 17, 2014, 03:12:24 am »

Would be interesting if the TUs were tied to the total rank of officers present.  Beat the aliens value (Soliders, leaders, and commanders count) and you get vantage.  Miss it, and they get vantage. 

Alien vantage:  Full TUs. 
XCOM vantage:  Randomized TUs in order of magnitude to the difference between Alien command rank value and XCOM command rank value.

Adds an interesting layer to the game as an -option-.  Makes having ranks on a skyranger matter other than a morale risk if killed.  More over, if you pull of a XCOM Basij (i.e. an officer and 10 rookies), you cede vantage to the enemy.  A dead rookie barely scratches morale though like seeing the XCOM commander go down in round 1 of battlescape.

(Basij is the milia army of the Iranians.  They were known during their early days to be used as fodder to throw down the enemies mouth to keep him occupied.  Boys and old men sent out to find mines or take out enemy positions by hurling themselves at the objective till they ran out of bullets and time...each wearing a plastic key to "heaven".  But I digress.)

120

Suggestions / Re: Make Dual Wielding Useful

« on: February 17, 2014, 02:29:25 am »

Same difference, but your point is heard.  When target shooting you use some level of ironsighting.  Akimbo, you are trading that in.  Your off hand will recoil, bounce, be offtarget, etc through out it all.  Granted...this is all fantasy, so hey, I can't argue that.  But if there is to be balance (which I know you are a huge advocate for) you have to keep balance and fluidity in game mechanics, otherwise the game goes off kilter.  Dual wielding autocannons with HE rounds is just as bad as getting hit twice by a single autocannon hitting you twice...the only difference is accuracy and the amount of energy you expend trying to do such a zany manuever.