Messages

31

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: February 22, 2024, 07:16:37 pm »

How do you deal with a swarm of UFOs, like a base mission? The ones with multiple Battleships? Currently, the answer is mostly "I don't" or "Let them land" or "use endgame craft", which is not really what X-Com's mission is.

Nevermind how you get good global transport coverage with just three hangars before the Kitsune, base-hopping or no base-hopping. Interceptors or no, you need hangars for transport craft. Or how you handle multiple important missions even with the Kitsune, like two terrors or the aforementioned base building swarm.

This also dovetails into the fact that the current air game is not particularly engaging. I recall UFO:ET had mods (Bman's and Unimod) that featured giant UFO swarms all over the globe. I had great fun trying to stretch my interceptor fleet to match them, shoot most of them down where I could launch ground missions, and I think there were even bounties for shooting some down within a time limit?

Xenonauts also had waves of UFOs performing their missions at the same time, forcing you to have an actual interception fleet. And there was also the fuel management part, where you couldn't launch from too far away, otherwise your in-combat performance suffered.

There is nothing like that in XCF, barring freak accidents like a base building mission and two terrors and a retaliation all going off within hours of each other.

Before the appearance of the tormentor, we have no chance of shooting down the battleship anyway. Everything except the battleship and flying UFOs is shot down by raven or a starfighter. There are 2-3 of them for the whole and globe. Exactly the same as the assault squad. Having 5 bases, I have 3 combat bases for 3-4 hangars. And two more bases - scientific and industrial. There are 10 scientists on all bases except the scientific one. At the scientific 90. Engineers are only on a scientific basis (150~) and on a production basis (250~). There is 1 empty  hangar each at the scientific and production bases. By the end of the game, you can generally play 1 basic assault craft. You just need to not be lazy and do management and throw out unnecessary garbage.

32

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: February 22, 2024, 02:44:12 pm »

He means these lines:

Code: [Select]

facilities:
  - type: STR_HANGARX4_3X3
    provideBaseFunc: [ AEROSHOP ]


Code: [Select]

manufacture:
  - override: STR_ALLOY_SKYRANGER
    requiresBaseFunc: [AEROSHOP, WORKS]




Heavily IMO, but the current/vanilla situation does not create interesting management, it just kneecaps anything that's not a space-optimised base.

All bases need to be at least minimally interception bases, because you only get 8. Any kind of real specialisation means you want only one hangar. But a manufacturing base also needs an extra hangar, so you either need two bases, one for crafts and one for other stuff; or spread stuff around piecemeal. Although manufacturing is discouraged heavily enough that this does not matter too much.

Want meaningful defense facilities? Take 5-6 squares off the base, at least, probably 8+; until late game.

Want to store your surplus loot/captives somewhere? That's another full base, at least.

Want defensive base layouts and isolated lifts/hangars? Too bad, every square needs to be used for actually productive facilities.

Want to train up Psi/new agents/defense meatshields? Another base, or Psi Labs/Gyms in most bases.

Never mind the extra facilities that creep into every megamod, like infirmiaries, sensoriums, progression-related facilities (Lunar Control), specialised versions of labs/workshops... There are a million things to build, and only the same 36 squares as in the original game with for its noticeably smaller list of facilities.

And hangars are the worst base space hogs bar none, since they're a) practically mandatory and b) 1/9 of the whole base.

At least the 'more than 8 bases' option in Brutal OXCE alleviates this quite a bit. But unless we get either multiple floors or bases with more than 36 squares, base management remains a case of artificial difficulty, very much like NuCom's 'pick one of three abductions' mechanic. And I think both of these have already been rejected by OXC(E) devs? So, yeah.

In the current game, I have 5 bases, and only three have hangars with interceptors. I have no problems with this style of play.

33

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: February 22, 2024, 01:04:39 pm »

Basically this mod restricts ALL crafts that need manufactured to require to be built in this facility.

I don't understand what you mean by that.

I almost completed the game for the second time on the maximum difficulty of iron man.

The standard situation with hangars creates interesting management, where hybrid, research or production bases have to sacrifice something for the sake of a large number of hangars. This management is especially felt more acutely if the base has a defensive structure and is separated from modules with enemy respawn by a footbridge. By simplifying this aspect, we will remove this interesting management from the game. But I agree that for a car, a 1*1 garage would be a logical solution and would not greatly upset the balance.

34

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: February 22, 2024, 12:51:46 pm »

sort of slavic sarcasm-lite

I am not worthy of respect. But I feel bad for Scorch at this moment.

35

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: February 20, 2024, 09:38:16 am »

I just posted a complete overhaul to my X-Com Files Hangar Expansion Pack mod.


New Mod Link
https://mod.io/g/openxcom/m/facility-expansion-pack-x-com-files

I haven't tested base retaliation, everything else works as expected.


Solarius Scorch, I'd be curios to get your take and any interest to incorpoarte this submore into the main XCF?  You are welcome to if you want. 

There are no problems with classic hangars right now. Just a gentle compulsion to a little base management. This submod will simply cut out of the game all the need to make a decision on hangars and crafts. Do you want to have any kind of transport on each base? Why stop there? Promote modules in the same way so that storage facilities are unlimited, and residential modules, and so that weapons do not need to be recharged and so that sanity is not consumed. It is very comfortable.

But seriously, a car garage can still be considered. Hangar 3*3 for 4 crafts completely breaks the management of the base.

36

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: February 17, 2024, 08:36:08 pm »

AI of the zombies probably didn't change either. I didn't feel anything like that.

About tanks and robotics. There is a lot of non-obvious logic in this game. I would say that any new player will definitely face a dead end ten times. And only surfing the database will help him find a way out of the impasse. Otherwise, you will have to quit the game without completing it. And tanks are a completely insignificant example of this, which, thank God, does not significantly affect the plot progress.

37

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: February 15, 2024, 09:29:15 am »

Ideally, these events should take place every month. But I consider the minimum chance of passing acceptable.

BTW. For more than 6 months, the final mission of the uac does not appear. Luck is not on my side.
((

38

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: February 07, 2024, 07:19:56 pm »

There is 50% chance... Should I make it 100%?

If you don't want to make a predictable 100%, then let it be 75%. I got in for 6 months. This is a very unpleasant experience. I have checked 25 times whether the orbital station is really open for spawn.

39

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: February 07, 2024, 05:19:10 pm »

I'm not happy. Not only is the late game already delayed by the possibility of spawning missions once a month. So I also had to wait for the spawn of the orbital station for 6 months after its exploration.  It's been an upsetting 6 months. This needs to be changed.

40

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: January 27, 2024, 10:23:09 am »

"Aggressive" alien ships tend to "fight to the death", so they get destroyed often.
Arbiter only spawns after you research MiB commander. Ethereals spawn almost never.
Once you get Eth Commander from the Arbiter, I don't recommend researching it until you get Eth Eliminator / Sentinel for the Avenger.

There is no problem exploring the commander's ethereal. Lightning is a great ship. With the introduction of the Spartans, the game became so much easier that I completed the mib lunar base of 8 agents without losing any. But not the first time.  I play ironman super human. The first time I burned the evidence. I think there's no point in specifically waiting for the avenger.

41

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: January 26, 2024, 10:42:54 pm »

I haven't seen an Ethereal commander either. The highest I've seen is a Leader in a mixed race mission. I've not yet seen a single UFO with Ethereal as the race. Also I have not seen a MIB commander yet. I think I've done all the MiB missions that occured so far, but I could be mistaken there.

It is ok. I spent the whole gaming year purposefully hunting for the ethereal commander. He is on the UFO-arbiter. But I play the ironman superhuman. And 75% of the downed UFO-arbiter did not suit me immediately upon arrival. It was very stuffy and tedious. But I was able to get it.

42

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: January 20, 2024, 10:48:09 am »

It feels strange. I just managed to kill everyone on the 3rd attempt and finish the mission of the MIB lunar base. The evidence, alas, was destroyed by the explosion of some kind of scenery. I can fight again. But how can there be a second lunar base on the moon if it is unique in lore? If I won the previous one completely.

43

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: January 14, 2024, 06:06:30 am »

I wouldn't say that controlling ethereals makes the final missions very easy. This makes it possible to confidently turn around on the battlefield. But the losses of the fighters are still great. I am more concerned about the spartanism with which my stormtroopers have become completely unstoppable. 40 tu is too much. even without the bonus to the tu, spartanism is very good. With this bonus, he leaves no alternative for a squad that won't use psi control.

44

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: January 13, 2024, 12:31:18 pm »

Well, if you found that difficult, later missions will be even more fun.
The Alien Orbital is next, and you won't be able to continue past Lunar Base if you don't have aforementioned Ethereals. So it can be reasonable to wait for Avenger.
That being said, Lunar Base and later on are very doable with just Lighting. For Lunar Base - if you don't intend to kill everyone, and just grab the stuff you need. Otherwise, probably hardest encounter in the game.
You can get Arbiter research from "rare" Ethereals. It tells that Ethereal Commander is on Arbiter.

I have already passed the xcf on ironman on veteran. And in recent updates, spartanism has made the game easier many times. I don't think difficulties will overcome me anywhere.

[Spoiler]

45

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 3.2: The Colors of Sin

« on: January 13, 2024, 10:12:44 am »

Waiting is quite common for late game.

I found Ethereal Commander rather easy to get. Arbiter spawns often (33% per month after MiB commander is researched). Then you can either mind probe every Ethereal, or

Spoiler:

only those that wield Plasma Sword / Heavy Plasma / Plasma Destroyer / Blaster Launcher, very easy to find.

He's visually indistinct otherwise, but could use some.

The bigger problem is, as usual, rare Ethereals that are needed for Alien Orbital / Avenger. These are Ethereal Eliminator / Sentinel / Servitor (no Avenger). You can get them from very rare Envoy Ship / Ethereal Alien Domination / Order of Elimination / Dreadnought. Most of these spawn, somewhat rarely, past 2001. So, if you don't have them, get ready for another 1.5 years wait.

Dreadnought can spawn instead of Arbiter, if you 1) Haven't researched Ethereal Commander yet (it stops Arbiter too) 2) Have detected-by-aliens base in the region where UFO spawns (random-ish?). So, there's questionable half-strategy I came up - make 3-5 of your bases detected/marked for retaliation, and fish for Dreadnought. There are ~8 regions, so the chance to get Dreadnought is, per month ~33% * number of detected bases / regions ~ 16% per month with 4 bases detected.

It's very strange. I was able to catch the ethereal commander on the UFO arbiter on superhuman Ironman. From 4 or 5 times. It was very difficult. If I didn't know where to look for him, it would be almost impossible. Now I have a lunar base of the MIB according to the plan. And then the final missions that I will have to start with LIGHTNING.