Messages

331

Offtopic / OpenXcom and Tactical RPG's

« on: March 11, 2015, 05:25:44 pm »

One of my favorite turn-based tactical games back in my youth was SSI Gold Box Series.  Something that started my nostalgia kick recently and eventually got me to buy X-COM was playing the Buck Rogers 25th Century “Countdown to Doomsday” CRPG.  I really liked the skill system and that there was space combat in Buck Rogers, and the sci-fi tactical combat was definitely different from the D&D versions (lot more ranged weapons similar to X-COM).  However, it fell kind of flat in some ways.  I couldn’t figure out why, until I started playing X-COM.  The tactical combat is SO MUCH RICHER!  One example is that using cover really means something in X-COM, and the attempt of using cover in Buck Rogers was very very poor and way too abstract.  I won’t go into a detailed analysis between the two, but suffice it to say that Buck Rogers tactical combat is to X-COM is what tic-tac-toe is to Chess.

Anyway, it got me to thinking (I know, I can’t help it) that OpenXCom’s battlescape engine could be married up to a RPG system.  I think it would be cool to create a “tactical” sci-fi RPG with OpenXcom. I can’t help but wonder what Buck Rogers would be like with a better combat system.  Someone might claim that X-COM has RPG elements(you’re playing the role of the organization’s commander), but I should probably clarify my definition.  My definition of CRPG is a game where you take a group of characters of varying abilities and use them throughout a “campaign” or “adventure” to win the game.

What is everyone’s thoughts of seeing a more RPG’ish game with OpenXcom as a starting point?  How would you envision it? 

332

Suggestions / Re: Weapons that break, prison riots in the alien base and money thefts.

« on: March 11, 2015, 04:06:01 am »

overflowing alien containment is something i'd like to see implemented, but i'd rather push that to the extended version or my own.

So does this mean that this requires source code changes to support?

333

Suggestions / Re: Weapons that break, prison riots in the alien base and money thefts.

« on: March 10, 2015, 09:37:15 pm »

All really good points, pilot00.  I like the idea of Mind Shield nixing the retaliation, unless you allow for the aliens breaking out sabotaging the Mind Shield.  Also, connecting the lore to the mechanics is important to help the theme to blend into the possibility.  Although, one could argue that the expendable aliens would not call for “rescue”, but just call the battleship because they said, “We’re at the human base. Here are the coordinates… come and get it!”

So, I’ll summarize some ideas as follows:

1. non-leader/non-psi captive aliens only means no breakout due to heavy sedation assuming we know enough about alien physiology to sedate them properly (proper research?)   (or expendable if this was rescue)
2. Psi-capable captive aliens (technically i think those are effectively all leaders) can cause a breakout due to MC - if rescue and not retaliation - these are valuable assets to the alien military effort
3. Probability of breakout adjusted based on alien psi strength in captivity
4. Higher number of psi-capable aliens bumps up the probability of happening
5. Probability of breakout gets higher based on alien/soldier ratio at the base.
6. Mind shield stops breakout attempts (unless allow sabotage and I’m okay not allowing it).
7. Mission starts with some weak psi soldiers on alien side
8. Mission starts with a number of civilians or scientists/engineers roaming around due to surprise attack from breakout

Discuss 

334

Playthroughs / Re: Let's play OpenXcom (Final Mod Pack)

« on: March 10, 2015, 04:43:40 pm »

And how is your name pronounced dear sir?

J. G. Atkinson

335

Playthroughs / Re: Let's play OpenXcom (Final Mod Pack)

« on: March 10, 2015, 08:24:23 am »

sign me up -> Jgatkinsn

336

Playthroughs / Re: Let's Play OpenXcom: Up Close and Personal!

« on: March 10, 2015, 08:22:59 am »

if you have any promotions left, put me in -> jgatkinsn

337

Suggestions / Re: Item list

« on: March 10, 2015, 07:15:56 am »

I found this about YAML merging from https://github.com/darvid/trine/wiki/YAML-Primer:

Merging Mappings

_FreeItemProps: &FREE
    SellPrice: 1
    BuyPrice: 0

item:
  - method: UPDATE
    where: {name: !include "itemlists/pve_weapons.yml"}
    <<: *FREE
Merge keys (<<) allow you to merge all keys and values from one or more mappings (multiple mappings can be referenced in a sequence, like [*FREE_TO_BUY, *FREE_TO_SELL]) into the current mapping.

Don't know for sure if this accomplishes what you want, since I'm not well versed in the use of YAML.  But, your request to create lists, so you can reference them elsewhere seems reasonable.

338

Work In Progress / Re: i created a new alien --- WIP - called ant man

« on: March 09, 2015, 07:02:33 am »

Much much better.

339

Work In Progress / Re: i created a new alien --- WIP - called ant man

« on: March 09, 2015, 06:28:33 am »

Good start.  Although, it kind of looks like it's eating the green thingie instead of looking like it's internals.  Maybe move it down a bit from the mandibles.  Also, my brain is recognizing it as the Celatid internals, so maybe change the color from green to something else like yellow or bright pink if you can.

BTW, good job moving the arms around to make it look dead.

340

Suggestions / Re: Weapons that break, prison riots in the alien base and money thefts.

« on: March 09, 2015, 03:25:43 am »

It would also make it a more risky proposition of capturing live psi-capable aliens which you need for research. 

I wouldn't mind seeing the probability of this mission kicking off be based on the ratio of garrisoned soldiers per contained alien.  So when that skyranger goes out on a mission, the probability of escape goes up while your troops are away.

341

Suggestions / Re: Weapons that break, prison riots in the alien base and money thefts.

« on: March 09, 2015, 02:44:23 am »

I would find it difficult to believe that aliens broke containment and made it to the weapons storage without an alarm of some sort going off. But anything believable would not really fit into xcom. It's not like you would get a chance to prepare your soldiers like you would an invasion, this happens without warning. But obviously your military complex would have guards, probably your soldiers, so you would need to identify and equip soldiers in case there is an outbreak, which again would turn into a weird "hunt" mission that would be super easy to game once you know it exists: put the storage on one end of the base, containment on the other.

On the surface it sounds fine, but if you try to flesh it out it doesn't really fit the game.

Actually, I believe it could happen if you had a Sectoid Leader in the containment, particularly early game before you have Psionic labs.  Maybe he's strong enough to control the guards to let his buddies out and then equip them with base weapons.  The mission could start with some of your soldiers as alien allies.

Or engineers maybe savvy enough to bypass the security as well, so alarms don't go off.  Overall the aliens have better tech which leads to pretty good intelligence to figuring their way out of prison.   

342

Work In Progress / Re: i created a new alien --- WIP - called ant man

« on: March 09, 2015, 01:50:22 am »

We have a winner! Awesome job on the ufopedia pic!

343

Offtopic / Re: Introduce yourself

« on: March 09, 2015, 01:45:26 am »

Welcome to the OpenXcom community, pilot00!

344

Work In Progress / Re: i created a new alien --- WIP - called ant man

« on: March 08, 2015, 08:42:05 pm »

Nice work on the drone.  I like it.

345

Work In Progress / Re: i created a new alien --- WIP - called ant man

« on: March 08, 2015, 05:48:58 am »

Cat Man sounds a bit cheesy, but it's promising nonetheless.

Attaching an alternative, orange metal Muton sprite, might be useful in this department.

Cool graphic.  Might be useful.