Messages

46

OXCE Support / Re: Partially non-logarithmic training

« on: May 11, 2020, 07:28:36 am »

I don't want to get in your way if that's what you really want to do, but it's extremely rare for optional features not coded by Meridian/Yankes to make it into mainline OXCE. So if your goal is to get this implemented for your mod, you really should do it with commendations/scripts/forks. Maybe that's not the "purpose of the thread" but if it accomplishes your goal what does it matter? There's a little bit of "being misunderstood" but mostly it's that I think your solution won't work.

47

OXCE Support / Re: Partially non-logarithmic training

« on: May 11, 2020, 05:29:17 am »

You can easily fork the relevant cpp code so long as you figure out how to search in files (e.g. in: on github and findstr on windows cmd) and compile OXCE. But this is very unlikely to be a directly supported feature, because the OXCE leads are wary of bloating the codebase and aren't so fond of balance tweaks. And really, I wouldn't recommend forking either, because it largely breaks compatibility with every future update and mod.

48

XPiratez / Re: Reaction vs Melee Enable

« on: May 11, 2020, 03:45:58 am »

Melees don't use CQB, they use melee dodge, which is just an accuracy reduction based on target stats.

You could make the formula for enemy CQB similar to the formula for melee dodge, and give the weapon a CQB multiplier and high accuracy to make it similarly likely to hit. But it's impossible to make them very similar.

49

OXCE Support / Re: Partially non-logarithmic training

« on: May 11, 2020, 03:25:17 am »

Okay, just trying to give suggestions for a similar effect. Sorry if I waste thread space, I'm not very useful. You could also try using returnFromMissionUnit script  hook to override vanilla experience formulas with custom formulas e.g. https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6619.msg104686.html#msg104686

50

Tools / Re: HandOb maker

« on: May 11, 2020, 03:04:38 am »

The fact that you can take a random sprite from a completely different game and make it work...

If this were to be expanded to units by someone else they would need to know Visual Basic.

51

The X-Com Files / Re: About difficulty

« on: May 10, 2020, 10:38:04 pm »

If you go to New Battle and open UFOpedia you can have the entire UFOpedia spoiled in an easily readable format so you know exactly what armor/resists enemies have.

In a nutshell, EXALT goons (vest) and Red Dawn pioneers (camo suit) have the same armor as kevlar vests, meaning that heavy weapons or slugs will often do almost triple the damage of SMGs, and shotguns will do almost nothing.

Human enemies tend to have 40 hp. Also 40 reactions, and leather dodge is 0.4*reactions, so just 16 melee dodge.

52

The X-Com Files / Re: Black Lotus' Freakin' Ninjas

« on: May 10, 2020, 10:23:49 pm »

The main problem is that armor gives no cutting resistance, while it gives 70% kinetic damage modifier. You could bring an exosuit, which takes half damage from cutting. But probably mines/flame/drones are better as they said. Dogs could work too I suppose just due to speed and low value, but not ideal for HQ.

53

OXCE Support / Re: Partially non-logarithmic training

« on: May 10, 2020, 10:13:24 pm »

Use commendations and set all stat caps to 0.

They are bonuses treated like armor, so starting stats remain relevant. Getting starting melee 50->70 is just hard as getting starting melee 70->90, but the next 20 points can be much harder.

 They can scale logarithmically. They can make starting stats remain meaningful as the game progresses. They give you complete control  over how EXP is gained. They are far clearer to the player. They are cooler. They challenge the player to soar to 5 kills in one turn instead of boring them with skipping 20 turns on reaction. If properly designed they can't be gamed, and in fact are made better when players try to game them. I don't know why everyone is treating them as just cute flavor. Them seem like a fantastic mechanic.

54

The X-Com Files / Re: Very Early Weapon Balance, take two (1.3)

« on: May 05, 2020, 04:47:58 am »

My opinions, which have changed over time:

Glock: Seems like trash but actually it is the best of the three. Auto-fire and large mags are the only important things in lifeforms, arrests, and the occasional suicidal safehouse. By the time you reach the other missions you should be using magnum/mp5 or just blackops weapons.

Crossbow: Concealment mission only weapon.

Small Shotguns and the like: Sidearm for agents who are carrying a weapon with bad auto-fire. Not a must have as space is tight but it can be a lifesaver.

Double Barreled Shotgun: My favorite. Plays to the strengths of a shotgun with the massive burst damage. Reasonable range if necessary due to high power.

Shotgun Ammo: EDIT: AP does have to do with range because it clearly doesn't use choke. It's anti-armor, and bleed. If your enemy has armor and you don't care about bleeding him, use AP. Generally buckshot is the purpose of the shotgun. But against EXALT AP shotguns can be better than rifles.


Taser: Significantly better than melee stuns against non-wounded/flashbanged enemies. However it removes the only decent way to train melee.

Melee stuns: high melee -> tonfa, else capped str -> wooden club, else electric club.

Throwing: Caps at 70. Mostly you want to train using the godlike flashbangs until you reach the cap. Then you can use Bows, Knives, Stars which should be pretty good if the instakill Black Lotus Warriors are any indication. Still might want a moderate amount of firing training on the agent. Melee training shouldn't be necessary with that much closerange power.

55

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 1.3: Sanity Check

« on: May 05, 2020, 04:34:48 am »

That doesn't really prove anything because there are military laser prototypes too.

56

Offtopic / Re: XCOM: Chimera Squad

« on: May 03, 2020, 11:02:31 pm »

I agree, it's less simulationistic. But so is every boardgame/wargame, DRM (die roll modifier) is a universal term there. I can't think of a single grid-based small-scale boardgame though (in Squad Leader each chit is more than 1 unit afaik, in Upfront you have no grid), and you're right that it feels more gamey at small-scale. People actually have an intuition for small-scale, since people experience life as individual people and not collective armies. NuCOM subverts that expectation, doesn't necessarily make it a bad game, but does make it feel odd.

57

Offtopic / Re: XCOM: Chimera Squad

« on: May 03, 2020, 02:48:17 am »

NuCOM is certainly less tactically "realistic" than XCOMfiles where pretty much everything works as you would expect it to from peeking out of cover to reasons for spreading out, but saying flanking doesn't work in NuCOM is pretty odd. Flanked enemies effectively take 3x damage due to lack of cover and the crit bonus. Whereas in XCOMfiles many enemies don't even have extra frontal armor.

Maybe strategic-level flanking is possible in XCOMfiles, but it sounds incredibly risky. Tactical-level flanking isn't that prevalent in realistic chit wargames though, so it might be more realistic to make it weak. Also in Chimera Squad you can cross the entire map in a single turn so cover is very useless unfortunately.

Also weird that you say "decoys" which I assume is the more realistic version of "distractions/tanking". This is weaker in NuCOM largely because the AI knows to ignore units that are "tanking" and shoot the most vulnerable target. Not really something you can fault the game for. But there are a lot less ways to disorient a target: no  vision-based smoke grenades, no wounds, no leader-based panic/surrender, no CQB, overwatch can't be expected to oneshot.

58

The X-Com Files / Re: Bugs, crashes, typos & bad taste

« on: April 22, 2020, 08:48:05 am »

Score does affect whether countries increasing funding but the worst/best case is about 15% increase, you don't get any bonus for going over the threshold for rankup, most countries will just do nothing, and it's pretty random anyways, so as Solarius said almost unrelated to income.

Corpses could have a much larger store space or score could convert to actual money using performanceBonusFactor. But, really it's not a big deal.

Side note, I don't know why there's a performanceBonusFactor for flat money, and not one for income change. Score converting directly to money is not super useful when you already have Money Briefcases, and not very interesting compared to balancing the long-term effects of your "warcrimes".

59

Offtopic / Re: XCOM: Chimera Squad

« on: April 18, 2020, 10:14:41 pm »

I'm actually super hyped for this. Chimera Squad seems to include all the systems from XCOM2, but remove pods, not waste your time on its mediocre geoscape/retaliations, make losses forgiving like OpenX, and add its own gimmicky abilities. Let OpenX handle the epics, XCOM2 could use a tighter format.

Story missions and lack of ironman support might be a turnoff depending on how it's handled. I'm fine with downed soldiers surviving, but not when it forces a savescum.

60

The X-Com Files / Re: So, What's -Your- Excuse?

« on: April 14, 2020, 02:39:49 am »

The military envoy, apparently