Messages

31

Offtopic / Re: Got a few questions about UFO Defense.

« on: September 12, 2017, 08:20:42 am »

Throwing accuracy does work. It's just that the inaccuracy is much more obvious with thrown items as you see exactly where the projectile ends up. The area effect nature of explosives usually masks the inaccuracy as you only need to get an explosive close enough for it to work.

32

Offtopic / Re: Got a few questions about UFO Defense.

« on: September 09, 2017, 11:44:33 pm »

The Heavy Laser's quite an effective Sectopod buster, but do give it to someone fairly accurate as it handles like a slightly less accurate Heavy Cannon.

With psi, since it's so powerful in the hands of the player, I often either restrict my number of psi-amps down to one, stick to panic attacks only or more commonly not use the psi-amp at all. Not using psi attacks does turn the game into a matter of managing how to resist at first (*ahem* psi sponges) until you can screen enough troops to become immune to psi attacks. It is ignoring a feature of the game, but one I can certainly live without as it's not as much fun when battles turn into psionic daisy chains and executions.

33

Offtopic / Re: Got a few questions about UFO Defense.

« on: September 08, 2017, 10:37:29 am »

1.) Experience.. been reading though UFOpeadia on the subject but still abit confused on the subject. "Every time a Primary Action is taken, Primary Skill Points are earned" am i to take that as "taking a reaction shot, firing, stunning, throwing, using psionics & the game enforcing a bravery check on said soldier" is what that means? and if that is the case, can you then blind fire into blank space with soldiers three times to gain the experience? from just outside the skyranger? or do you need to be doing the "Primary Action" towards an enemy?

With the exception of morale and throwing, most of the primary actions only award experience checks when used against the enemy. You shouldn't get anything from allies, civilians or scenery.

It goes:

Reactions - Increments if you qualify for a reaction shot during the alien's turn. You still earn the check if the triggering alien is killed before you can fire a shot.

Firing Accuracy or rather the 'successful hit' counter  - increments per hit on an enemy with a bullet or area-of-effect attack. If memory serves, there's a bug in the original game that awarded a point to anyone that sets off a live proximity mine.

Melee - increments on each successful melee hit on an enemy with a stun rod. 

Throwing - increments by simply throwing stuff. Anything. Anywhere.

Psionic Skill - increments by using a psi-amp attack on an alien. A failure is worth 1 count, a success is worth 3.

Morale - increments every turn you resist panic while under 50% morale.

Unless I missed something, I think that covers most of it.

34

Offtopic / Re: Got a few questions about UFO Defense.

« on: September 07, 2017, 02:10:26 pm »

By the way I'm not really trying to discredit the basic rifle as it's an okay all-rounder. It's a good device to contrast the pistol against due to the shared similarities between the two weapons.

And the difference between 3 TU's (the difference between having a grenade in hand and having it in your shoulder slot) just isnt enough to merit the Pistol in that regard.

True, a 3TU saving isn't really a strong justification for the pistol. But assuming you have an extra TU or two left over, that's enough to kneel or walk another tile!

Joking aside, the pistol's one handed grip is a primarily a convenience feature that means you do not suffer the accuracy penalty when holding something in the other hand. So you can have something else ready all the time and not have to stow it away and pull it back out again in between shots.

I wanted to chime in on your comments about the basic pistol.  A few years back I did a Youtube Lets Play series called "OpenXcom: Up Close and Personal."  The gimmick was that long guns weren't allowed.  Pistols, Grenades, and Melee only.  So I used the heck out of the vanilla pistol.  Fast Aimed Shots across the map using scout and snipe tactics were one of the main staples of the campaign.  Mutons were the only reason to migrate away from the pistols, as they were almost completely ineffective.  But ever since then, I've always maintained a healthy respect and admiration for the humble pistol, and that campaign, I think, made me a better player by learning to play within those limitations.

I gained my respect for the pistol way back in the day from one of those classic scenarios where you think you are at the point of defeat only to have the survivors pull off a miracle. In this case I sent a squad to attack a Floater base. They got utterly destroyed. The only person left standing was carrying a pistol and a handful of grenades. The mission was an outright loss at that point so I decided to keep playing to see how the soldier would get killed.

I don't remember the outcome, but the number of casualties on the alien side after the battle left me wondering what the heck just happened. There's more to it that happened afterwards, but that was the seed that set me down the path to try and understand why the weakest weapon in the game was performing far better than expected.

35

Offtopic / Re: Got a few questions about UFO Defense.

« on: September 06, 2017, 12:37:28 pm »

However using Scout & Snipe tactics on the battle field will most likely not work well with pistols. ;-)

Heh, if memory serves, the ability to snipe all the way across the map with the different pistols in the vanilla game was one of the main reasons for the introduction of the popular Extender ranged based accuracy mod.

That said, even with the limited effective range, they still have quite a respectable range that the sniper/scout strategy is still viable. The shooters just have to be a bit closer to the action and maybe employ a smokescreen for added concealment.  +1 excuse to use smoke grenades.

36

Offtopic / Re: Introduce yourself

« on: September 06, 2017, 09:48:11 am »

Hey ho. I'm just a strange person with initials for a web handle. Just passing through to make a random comment. Professional lurker otherwise.

37

Offtopic / Re: Got a few questions about UFO Defense.

« on: September 06, 2017, 09:46:11 am »

Oh and last question: Incendiary ammo
This is the only weapon/ammo type i've yet to really "connect" with (outside of the starting pistols).

*Ahem*

I've for the most part been viewing these forums passively as a lurker, but I had this sudden irrational need to sign up.

The pistol and basic rifle are complementary weapons. Of the two, the basic rifle is hands down the better damage dealer at close range due to the auto shot. The pistol on the other hand is the superior snapshot weapon. It is the fastest snapshot weapon in the game and is just as accurate. Damage wise they are not that different. Both are effective against the enemies they are effective against (sectoids, floaters, snakemen) and ineffective against enemies they aren't (pretty much everything else ).

The short of it is: if you like to use snapshots (and by extension reaction shots), the pistol's king. The rifle for auto.

Yes I know I'm promoting something that gets ditched the minute the laser pistol is researched a few days in. To its credit it does remain a fantastic reaction training weapon throughout the entire game.