Messages

121

XPiratez / Re: Bugs & Crash Reports

« on: February 08, 2019, 06:27:50 pm »

There is a problem when transferring space occupying units to a base with small amount of vault space. I transferred 10 tamed reapers to a fresh base with a burrow. They now occupy 10 space each (100 total) in the target base (even though they are in transfer), while the burrow has only 25 vaults. At days end, the transfer is still in progress, but the base checks available space (exceeded) and moves me to the forced sell/transfer screen. Even if I move all the stuff out of the base, I'm still over the capacity 100 vs 25 and I can't transfer the damned reapers because they have not arrived yet. So i'm stuck in the sell window, with only option to kill the game.

While I wouldn't consider it even a minor bug (a pretty rare situation I'm in), it could ruin someone's day (especially on ironman).

122

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - J10 - 28 Dec - Christmas Underground

« on: January 07, 2019, 07:24:27 pm »

Does tractor beam use leads to any damage dealt to the craft during the landing?

None whatsoever. Mechanically it's like catching a landed UFO. The 'forcing it down to the ground' is implied rather than actually done. Not sure what is the timer on landing (I assault immediately if I actually bother to tractor) - 30 minutes at least, maybe more.

123

XPiratez / Re: Bugs & Crash Reports

« on: January 03, 2019, 12:06:13 am »

3) Because 'bullion' used in the description is singular.

124

XPZ Strategy/Tactics / Re: Extended Piratez general FAQ/Strategy Guide

« on: January 02, 2019, 11:59:17 pm »

Stun, energy and morale damage. It's right there in the ANAL button.

125

XPZ Strategy/Tactics / Re: Extended Piratez general FAQ/Strategy Guide

« on: December 29, 2018, 11:55:26 pm »

Add to thet the fact that if you build a base in the corner of a zone (Europe, North Africa, etc.) the retaliation missions will have a hard time tracking it down, since most flybys are done in the middle of the zone that your base occupies. For example I built my base a bit to the east of Jerusalem. That means it's technically still in North Africa, but so far all Retaliations flew over Central Sahara, never going even close to my base.

Your example of Crete is basically the same - it lies on the very edge of Europe zone.

126

XPiratez / Re: Newbe questions

« on: December 29, 2018, 01:51:40 am »

I think some new 'building blocks' for alien bases (and Cydonia) were added and one of them is an empty version of the brain room. The map generator can pick that one, but it's quite rare. It's the same variation as with mansions - you can get 3 or 4 treasure chest rooms, but you might end up with none.

127

XPiratez / Re: Newbe questions

« on: December 28, 2018, 12:20:52 pm »

Well, according to the research (which is easily repeatable) what the Bootypedia says is only part of the truth. "The one who makes the kill, gets xp. Other craft which actively participated in shooting down the UFO also get xp."

128

XPiratez / Re: Newbe questions

« on: December 28, 2018, 02:31:21 am »

Since you don't know and I want to, I moved my lazy ass and did the testing. And the answer is - depends. All craft that attack the UFO (I assume it needs a hit) and still stay in the fight (even at standoff) get experience if the fight is won. They get no experience if retreated from a fight before it is over (interception window for that craft closes).

Also - RIP for the poor Rebel Trader that suffered due to my testing.

129

XPiratez / Re: Newbe questions

« on: December 28, 2018, 12:22:35 am »

I mean - Fighters 1, 2 and 3 engage a UFO. Fighter 3 makes the kill. Does 3's pilot(s) get the experience while others don't? Or do all of them get it, for participating. It's not a big deal, rather an aspect of min-maxing the gains.

I can already hear Dioxine "Why the f*ck would it matter at all? Play this like a goddamn game not a calculator."

130

XPiratez / Re: Newbe questions

« on: December 27, 2018, 06:41:34 pm »

A follow up question to that - for multi-craft interceptions who gets experience? The pilots who made the killing shot (crash/destroy) or all participating craft?

Also - you do not get any experience for forced landing (via tractor beam).

131

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - 0.99J9 - 24 Nov - Needs More Muskets

« on: December 27, 2018, 06:39:51 pm »

Thanks for all those replies. They filled some of the information gaps I had regarding retaliation.

Also there are not many craft weaker than 400dmg. Only one that comes to my mind that could be used in a raid is the Raider Barque. Anything else is either too small to be considered assault (like Cutter or Fighter) or tougher than the Torpedo.

132

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - 0.99J9 - 24 Nov - Needs More Muskets

« on: December 27, 2018, 01:22:28 pm »

The base detection and attack mechanics are a bit complicated, but that's how it always have been.

1. A UFO (or a foot party) patrols in the general region (eg. North Africa) where your base is located. How do they know which region? I guess it's random, but you can call it gossip or someone tipped them off. If a UFO flies close to your base (no idea on the exact range) it has a *chance* (with bonus depending on base size) to discover it. There is no attack right away, the discovering UFO just flies away. I heard that if you shoot the UFO before they had a chance to detect you base you have a chance to interrupt the retaliation altogether - not sure if it's a planned feature or already implemented.
2. After a couple of days an 'assault' UFO appears, heading straight for your base at full speed. The major factions use specialized UFOs for that (Boarding Torpedo, Breaker, Assault Transport or Cruiser), with speeds over 5000kt, so these are almost impossible to intercept and very hard to detect. The last part is due to the fact, that radar sweeps are made every 30 minutes (and not 100% successful). In this time an assault craft can cover over 2500 miles, which is the general range of a base radar (craft have significantly less). So it is entirely possible that the assault UFO can reach your base before any radar can even pick them up. Not sure how dark ones and ratmen do it - if they use similar vessels or a different mechanic (besides - realistically, how would a radar detect a squad of soldiers on foot?).
3. After the assault craft reaches the base, the defenses get a chance to fire. They need to do enough damage to destroy the attacking vessel. There is no crashing and AFAIK any damage that didn't destroy the ship is irrelevant*. So with anti-UFO defense you go big or not at all. Not sure if assault craft size matters for to-hit consideration.
4a. If the assault craft is destroyed before landing, another one is sent in a couple of days, ad nauseam. Either your defenses fail at some point, or you get a steady stream of attacks. Basically you *will* have a base defense mission at some point, anti-UFO just gives you time to prepare and do it on your terms. Not sure if destroying an assault craft gets you points or not.
4b. The craft is not destroyed - it lands successfully - the base defense mission starts. If you win - the aliens 'forget' about your base and will not send another assault craft. But they can still start the retaliation mission again and detect the base again and so on, the process repeats. If you lose - well, you lose the base and the retaliation is over as well.

If i'm wrong somewhere, please correct me.

* As a point of reference, you need 2 flak cannons or SAM sites to reliably shoot down the smallest attack unit (the Torpedo - 400dmg). One of any of those has a chance to do it (on good roll) but it's in no way reliable.

133

XPiratez / Re: [MAIN] XPiratez - 0.99J9 - 24 Nov - Needs More Muskets

« on: December 27, 2018, 10:48:05 am »

...nor did I want to get attacked, so kinda games fault.[snip]

Sorry, but I just had to point it out. You do know that retaliation (base search/attack) is in the game whether you want to acknowledge it or not. You chose to limit your options of defending the base (ie. bulding a burrow/hiring gals to defend it). So no, it's not the game's fault - you knew what was coming but you chose to ignore it. By the way - in Piratez some battles are not winnable, that's part of the mod's charm. You will need to learn when to stand and fight (and how much is it going to cost you) and when to cut your losses, pack up and retreat. Is losing the base a setback? Sure it its. But it's not your main base, so it's not game over at any rate. Just greater challenge.

134

XPiratez / Re: Bugs & Crash Reports

« on: December 25, 2018, 11:41:19 am »

I'd say it's neither a bug nor an exploit. The veggies are part of the 'new' farm terrains (not specific to the barn mission) and have given infamy for the last couple of versions. If it was a bug, Dioxine would have fixed it by now. I guess you can call it a 'farming mission'.

135

XPiratez / Re: Stuff I'd love to see in XPiratez!

« on: December 22, 2018, 01:00:28 pm »

When your craft(especially transport one) passes near some enemy secret base - closer than 500 or 1000 km from it - what if this base launchers this faction's fighter craft to intercept you? this means you'll have to travel more carefully(avoid strong fractions base) or provide fighter support to your ground operations.

While it could be an interesting addition, I see a couple of issues with it.
First, the coding part would have to be done from scratch (if it's at all possible to add 'interception' code to alien base which is essentially a permanent mission).

Second - that would handicap doing alien base missions to the point in game when you can successfully intercept whatever the base throws at you (a Fighter would make the most sense). Not sure how exactly escorting Xcom craft works - does the escorted vessel enters combat along with all escorts at once (gang up), or all vessels one by one. If the latter, you are even more screwed - you'd have to leave all base and supply missions alone until you have a craft that is able to take an enemy fighter 1-on-1.

Thirds - that would limit supply ship 'milking' and that mission is already hard enough. On the other hand - if you can take down a fighter then that could be exploited as well (how often would the base launch interceptors? each time?). A downed fighter is an easy fight and has 1-in-3 chance for at least one of its engines to be intact.