Messages

16

Work In Progress / Re: [TFTD][BETA][ALIEN][WEAPON] XOps's TFTD beta mods:Carcharodon Aliens+Ion Weapons

« on: January 10, 2016, 06:14:36 pm »

Updated the first post. I added a new weapon tier for TFTD. No update on the Carcharodons yet, but I plan to release a new version of them soon.

17

OXCE Suggestions DONE / Re: Display soldier armor in the craft equipment screen

« on: January 03, 2016, 06:51:41 pm »

Yes please. I could very much use this. Also, it could come in handy if/when we start seeing some different soldier types.

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Work In Progress / [TFTD][BETA][ALIEN][WEAPON] XOps's TFTD beta mods:Carcharodon Aliens+Ion Weapons

« on: December 30, 2015, 07:25:51 pm »

I have two more half finished TFTD mods rotting on my harddrive right now. I need to get these things out so I plan gradually release these beta mods on this thread over the next several months. I have finally managed to move these two into beta.

2 Mods Currently up for beta
Carcharodons Race
Those who have peeked into my Xeno Operations mod have noticed a strange race of alien sharkmen. Those were originally intended for TFTD. Well here they finally are in beta form for TFTD.
A few notes
They are a mid game enemy. They should show up in around a few months of play. Stats wise, they are not overwhelmingly tough, but they are hardy. They are also resistant to starting weapons so you will need gauss or sonics to deal with them.
I am still open to balance suggestions.
The polyp sprite may get an overhaul down the road.

Ion Weapons
The plasma weapons for Xeno Operations were actually originally designed for TFTD as well. This mod adds a final weapon tier to the game called Ion Weapons. These weapons deal sonic damage, but have a much higher rate of fire than alien Sonic weapons at the cost of some accuracy. Default damage is below those of alien sonic weapons, but much higher than gauss. There are more expensive alternate ammo types that make Ion weapons damage equal to alien sonic.

19

Resources / Re: [ARMOR] The X-Com Files: armours and paperdolls

« on: December 28, 2015, 06:51:12 pm »

I might. I've actually stolen them for XOps, so I'll check if he hasn't done it yet.

I have updated them.

However, as you can see the style is very different now. It's more sleek/modern post 2000s and less 90s TVish. So I'm not really sure if they would fit style wise.

20

XPiratez / Re: Jmf' piratez alt art Zone

« on: December 27, 2015, 06:27:08 pm »

But R&B had never failed me before (Red & Black).

When in doubt, paint it black. 

21

Released Mods / Re: [TFTD] USO mods and some Resources

« on: December 27, 2015, 06:16:22 pm »

About the sharkmen^: I really like them, no two ways about that, but it will be difficult to find a niché for them where they are not simply one additional race, but actually serve a real purpose. Maybe merging them with the Grunge ufo mod and give them some new weaponry? tldr: TFTD is hard to change, it feels much more "hardcoded" than UFO:EU. It feels like it (the game) has been given much more planning, though. The maps especially are awesome.

In regards to the sharkmen, stats wise, they are tougher than Gillmen and Aquatoids, but weaker than Lobstermen and Tasoths. Interesting that UFO has 5 primary Alien races (that is, aliens who use weapons, not counting Terror units) where as TFTD only has 4.
Aquatoid ~ Sectoids
Gillmen ~ Floaters
? ~ Snakemen(this is where I am aiming to put the sharkmen)
Lobstermen ~ Mutons (Though far tougher than mutons since you can still easily put down mutons with heavy plasma)
Tasoths ~ Ethereals (Though Tasoths are far weaker than Ethereals since not all of them can use MC unlike the psi spamming Ethereals)
I was planning to have them show up before Lobstermen, but after Gillmen and Aquatoids. I think there is a bit of a gap in TFTD in terms of alien difficulty. You go from one shoting Gillmen to invincible Lobstermen way too quickly. In addition, the game throws Lobstermen at you too much (at least in my playthroughs). I think there is a little room left for one or two mid game aliens, though it still wouldn't fix the useless gauss/just go straight to sonic issue. What TFTD really needs is a pacing fix since it doesn't really have a mid game in terms of both aliens and weapons.

22

Work In Progress / Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod -0.953 Update

« on: December 27, 2015, 05:38:40 pm »

Wow, really impressive mod! You have one lucky hand with those graphics. 

One minor point, though: Now with your different graphic style, the original weaponry (rocket launcher, heavy cannon etc) look completely out of place, you might consider replacing their graphics as well. or delete them entirely.

Thanks. Yeah I plan to replace the Autocanon, heavy Cannon, and Rocket Launcher at one point. I actually have alternate versions of them, but I'm not satisfied with them yet.

Update
Released a hotfix. Researching Engineers was crashing the game because I was stupid and forgot to give the new UFOs a research item.

--- posts merge ---

Another update. This one is sort of a sound update.

V0.955
  -Fixed Carcharodon Engineer looking up wrong UFOPaedia entry
  -Updated sprite for Carcharodon to make them look a little better
  -Gave the Carhcarodon's melee attack the reaper animation
  -Updated Carcharodon's death scream
  -Updated Abomination's sound effects
  -Updated plasma weapon sounds
  -Lowered sell price of UAV
  -Updated floater death sound. It sounds off, but it won't be once I update the spritework for the floater. I am doing a more cybernetic re-imagining of the floater
  -Updated the text of the second stage codex ufopaedia technologies
  -Updated the text for a few third stage codex ufopaedia technologies

23

Released Mods / Re: [TFTD] USO mods and some Resources

« on: December 26, 2015, 07:38:10 pm »

This creature could fit very well into TFTD :



https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,2913.msg56319.html#msg56319

I am going to make a TFTD version eventually (I've got it mostly done in fact). Actually, that was what this alien was intended for in the first place.

24

Work In Progress / Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod -0.953 Update

« on: December 26, 2015, 07:29:27 pm »

Also wonder ancient abominations do apart from stay and not move. I found no effect created by them... Or they only spotters?

They should shoot. They have the hybrid's weapon.  They also have psionics. I really need to give them something more unique.
Alos, I'll take a look at the feet for the Carcharodon's ufopaedia artwork.


Updated to 0.953
V0.953
  -Added hybrid grenades
  -Reduced Human Elerium Lamp cost and manufacturing time and increased its sell price
  -Fixed a tile issue on one of the scout UFOs
  -Alien plasma cannon should not be usable until much later. Fixed this bug
  -Fixed soldiers not screaming upon dying
  -Lowered storage size of UAV rockets
  -Thought about it for a while and I think I'm doing it. I removed the Lightning from the research list. It is just filler and I don't see any reason why someone would use it. Might add it later if I rework it.
  -Updated abomination artwork and ufopeadia entries

--- posts merge ---

Updated to 0.954

Changelog
V0.954
  -Added an upgraded minigun with alternate ammo types
  -Added an assault cannon. This combined with the minigun should flesh out the heavy weapons for tier 2
  -Lowered cost of minigun
  -Updated Hybrid autopsy UFOPaedia artwork
  -Updated Overlord UFOPaedia artwork for both normal entry and autopsy
  -Updated Carcharadon UFOPaedia artwork to fix feet
  -Reduced cost and sell price of all Tech Rounds
  -Reorganized and reordered a bunch of UFOPaedia stuff. Ditched XCOM Technology category and merged it with CODEX Technology
  -Deleted a couple of useless UFOPaedia entries that no longer fit into any category
  -Updated UFOPaedia entries for all stage one Codex technologies. Also updated much of the artwork for Codex stage one technologies, but I am still not finished in that area.
  -Deleted small psi amp research. Pisonic warfare now unlocks it directly.

25

Work In Progress / Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod -0.952 Update

« on: December 16, 2015, 06:40:13 pm »

It is set up for the game to destroy items are researched so I were need to rebuild stage 1 Codex 3 times. First got corrupted data, second gave me some pass topic what unlocked Medikit and third time I gain corrupted data again. That was the point where I decided to research all stages only once as I found impossible to afford rebuild codexes and fuel my troops with items. But will turn off the expend option and give a try to the lower codexes once again.

Ouch. Sorry about that. I have updated the front page and the readme file for the next release. Codex costs were never intended to be a one shot item. The idea was that the player was suppose to upgrade a single codex throughout the entire campaign. Lesson learned. Be clear on settings in the readme. 

I reached a bit further and experienced that codex 4 provides no tech as "it decides what X-com may extract". On the other hand level 5 gave me Blaster launcher so it vanished from the available research list. Now I research Archangel as an Ethereal commander and a codex 5 seemingly unlocked that together.

The Stage 4 Codex should have unlocked something useful. Maybe I didn't have a UFOpaedia entry for the item you unlocked. I'll double check to make sure. There should not be any dead ends at Stage 4.

About codex key recovery missions. I have three so far and the site always filled with armoured water-heads. Sectoids are the only race have this mission or just I were unlucky to got floaters?

Codex Key recovery missions use a similar race list to Terror missions. There should be different races month to month, but sometimes the RNG just assigns the same race over and over again.

26

Suggestions / Re: Underwater terrain in UFO?

« on: December 15, 2015, 10:52:02 pm »

Ambience on its own shoooooooooould work fine though? I don't know, Warboy will probably prove me wrong.

It should be. I'm using in my mod right now. Maybe it's an Extended issue?

27

Work In Progress / Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod -0.952 Update

« on: December 15, 2015, 10:45:08 pm »

Why not do you join the force ?

Three reasons. Time, time and time.
Also, I've already joined the Dark Side of the Force.

That SR-71 is sexy...

One of the coolest looking jets ever made in real life.

This underground ice pyramid would also be awesome for something based on Lovecraft's Mountains of Madness story.

I need to sprite a shoggoth one day.

I heard some Muton Berserkers arrived.
If you do not mind, i will use them to kick some players ass

Go ahead and help yourself. Just remember to arm them I gave them a pair of nice blades.

i check this thread everyday for new updates.. keep them coming dude!

Thanks! I am going to try to maintain a roughly weekly release schedule for the next few months. The next update should have at least one small new goodie and a few more fixes and adjustments.

So far what I tumbled upon in this mod - note I am just arrived mid-game as I am in 1999's november!

- Codex extraction. While I understood why it is random what one may get here but get corrupted data just for the beginning is a bit strong. I need to built another level 1 Codex what gave some tech but this is frustratingly expensive!

Much like early game rookies, early game research was designed to be mostly a miss. However, much like early game rookies, persevere and there may be a reward. Still, I will note this.

- Research tree. I think I lost something somewhere as I have lasers and tier 2 ballistics but no extra crafts apart from Rook or any option to have plasmas or such things. I interrogate everything I can acquire but mostly got useless alien mission descriptions instead of unlocking new techs. Maybe I really need Muton or Ethereal commanders to continue the researches?

Interrogations do not normally unlock new useable tech (there are a few exceptions as some of it is needed in order to use certain codex techs), only the Codex can do this. Interrogations eventually allow the player to go to Mars. The stage one codex has two crafts that may pop up upon completion of research. If you research the first stage codex enough times, they should come up.

- Resource dependancy. To much. Disassembling, as I experienced and correct me if I am wrong, gives only fragments but no alloys or elerium. What the hell may I do with 5-600 fragments if only have 120 alloys? Not help to shot down everything and loot even the Nine Hells. So few alloys are acquired all the times. And everything needs alloys to build or one may forced to use basic techs almost untill late-game? Not much problem though as I can manufacture 16-20 laser batteries per month but I planned to use these weapons later instead of ballistics.

Noted.
If you are running low on alloys, have you considered raiding supply or construction ships? Those have a lot of alien supplies which break down into all three components, but give a larger number of alloys.

- I think alien bases and key recovery missions are way to hard as the AI reluctant to move from the key areas (transmitter, controll room) and deal with 8-10 aliens within a single turn is not always possible. If the AI is defensive the alien base design is futile. It has a wide open 4th level where both player and AI may could move troops easily. Only I do as the aliens left and move on the lower levels where they have less opportunity to ambush my troops.

Noted. I need to edit the nodes to spread out the aliens a bit more. They tend to clump up around the command center and larger labs.

- I started it before the latest release so alien plasma weapons are unuseable for my troops except the plasma cannon what I researched after installing the latest version. Is there a way to make accessible all the other weapons or I must sell them? Or is this some bug what remained within?

This is a bug that will be fixed when I update next. The large plasma should not be usable unless a stage four codex tech has been discovered. In the older version the alien weapons were useless. A recent update has made classes of alien weapons usable if certain codex techs are discovered.

- Do shark guys really so strong or only special weapons are really effective against them? Laser and ballistics seemingly almost not hurt them at all (6-9 hits needs from a rifle for them to faint not to mention killing them). But their aggressive behavior is lovely! In a terror no need to search them as they come from everywhere to kill you. Or at least they did so in both terrors I have them involved.

They do indeed have a very high aggression. They are predators after all. I'll note that they feel too difficult at this stage. I need to do another balance pass with them regardless. They should be stronger than snakemen, but weaker than mutons and faster than both.

- Love the new UFO interiors. So many sniping positions in large and very large ships that make incursions a meatgrinder. And now the AI throw accurately what is sad for my poor troops...

Yeah. Those entries are brutal. I find it's hard to shoot up, but easy for the aliens to return fire. It's even worse if they have explosive weapons.
Thank you so much for this feedback. I think I need to reword some of my UFOpaedia entries to make a few things clearer, especially in regards to the Codex.

--- posts merge ---

- Codex extraction. While I understood why it is random what one may get here but get corrupted data just for the beginning is a bit strong. I need to built another level 1 Codex what gave some tech but this is frustratingly expensive!
- Research tree. I think I lost something somewhere as I have lasers and tier 2 ballistics but no extra crafts apart from Rook or any option to have plasmas or such things. I interrogate everything I can acquire but mostly got useless alien mission descriptions instead of unlocking new techs. Maybe I really need Muton or Ethereal commanders to continue the researches?
- Resource dependancy. To much. Disassembling, as I experienced and correct me if I am wrong, gives only fragments but no alloys or elerium. What the hell may I do with 5-600 fragments if only have 120 alloys? Not help to shot down everything and loot even the Nine Hells. So few alloys are acquired all the times. And everything needs alloys to build or one may forced to use basic techs almost untill late-game? Not much problem though as I can manufacture 16-20 laser batteries per month but I planned to use these weapons later instead of ballistics.

By the way Duke, you don't have Expend Research Item on right? Expend research items needs to be off or the game becomes near unwinnable. Also, are you researching each Codex stage multiple times or are you only research each stage once before upgrading?

28

Work In Progress / Re: what potential compatibility-breaking changes in new nightlies?

« on: December 12, 2015, 08:20:11 pm »

Found this, https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,3550.msg54335.html#msg54335, but it indicates stuff that i don't know: what is nextUfoCounter? spawnCountdown? liveUfos?

Those have to do with save game mission generation. It wouldn't have anything to do with a CTD upon startup. Not unless you are loading a specific save.

Some things I could think to check.
If you have altered the soldier rules, you might want to check the soldiers section of your rule set since that was a recent big change.
Do you have civilians with custom death sounds? This was also changed with a recent commit. https://github.com/SupSuper/OpenXcom/commit/61c2601c628d99083669be613876b50b74e67a8e
The soldier dairies mod added the ability to add custom UFOpaedia categories. I doubt this could be an issue, but it could be something to look at.
Font handling was updated recently as well. You might want to check if you use custom fonts.
Also, did you just try loading the game without any mods? I recently had some difficulty myself with a CTD upon startup, but it turned out to be an issue with the nightly rather than my mod.

If all else fails, you could try disabling parts of the mod until you find the issue.

[Spoiler]

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Work In Progress / Re: [BETA][WIP][BUNCHOFSTUFF] Xeno Operations Mod -0.952 Update

« on: December 12, 2015, 07:56:18 pm »

You never know what you might discover underground

Spoiler:

Say what you will about the aliens, but at least they know how to park.

The underground pyramid first reminded me of the Aliens vs Predator movie but when I added the UFO I was inspired by John Carpenter's The Thing movie. I'm considering adding it to Redux as a two part mission, where first you need to investigate a polar station that goes offline after investigating a 'magnetic anomaly', and then you need to assault the buried UFO.

To bad you can't mod a blood test. Also, don't forget your flame thrower.  Actually, making an arctic research base was one of the terrains I wanted to do in the future.

I have posted an update. Added my first radar craft, an SR-71.

Also, alien weapons are usable now. They still cannot be built so the player should only be able use them for special missions.

30

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - 0.97A - Jetbikes for Christmas

« on: December 12, 2015, 02:41:47 am »

I think I fucked up somewhere..

Don't ask how the fuck I managed to stuff this into the XCOM palette, either. It's pure luck.

Nice spritework there.