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The X-Com Files / Re: Plot cost-benefit ranking (light spoilers)
« on: December 17, 2024, 10:36:55 pm »
Contains some spoilers, but nothing really significant:
1. Defend earth. Wrt. basic cults Black Lotus is IMHO by far the easiest cult to deal with first (if you know how to deal with the assassins, i.e. with dogs and rats). Exalt mansion is a maze, but otherwise it's OK. Dagon and Red Dawn can be deadly for various reasons and I usually go there only after I have obtained Promo III and TAC + gas grenades.
2. MIBs and Hybrids are two completely different plotlines.
a) MIBs can be tough but if you know to deal with them, they give very good loot. You may want to defer researching MIB agent for a while, because if you do and also get info on David Vincent, you may get a one-time mission that can be a bit tough if you are not well prepared (at least Promo III).
b) Hybrid plotline isi unlocked usually either through Red Dawn HQ or Exalt HQ missions. Essentially you are already Promo III when this occurs. Dealing with controller mission is crucial in order to be able recruit alien hybrids for powerful psionics. Once you have done that, and trained the psionics, everything becomes very easy.
3. a) The first branch of syndicate plotline can be unlocked early. There is some OK loot and access to easy research. Advisable.
b) The second branch of syndicate plotline (data seizure) may need to be deferred a bit until you have craft(s) capable of shooting down their retaliation and a fast enough craft to get into the three second stage missions with 8-16 hour times (e.g. SKYMARSHALL). The second stage is extremely useful. It unlocks KITSUNE, an ultimate fast craft for going to missions.
c) The third stage of syndicate plotline is the syndicate regional HQ, where you can get Helix Knight transformation, which helps. The final part (Syndicate HQ) gives you the best transformation of the game and is very useful. The mission can be challenging without strong psionics. So progressing hybrid path (or good luck with RNG with hybrid defectors having strong PST) is advisable.
4. Zombie arc is essentially useless, and some zombie catacomb, vampire castle, etc. missions can cause losses and be tedious. The final prize of the zombie arc is IMHO not worth all this trouble. Just go forward with it until you get bored. You will want Zombie Trooper, though, but it's not really even part of the zombie arc. And zombies corpses can be utilized in the early game for manufacturing healing gel which is much more handy than regular healing kits at this point.
5. Underwater arc provides excellent loot: materials for plastic aqua-armors (very good overground as well), deep one corpses which will unlock biology and alien containment and thus allow later capturing and interrogating aliens, juggernaut suits from gillman heroes, huge amounts of cash, etc. Very advisable to go forward with it. Especially early abyssal artifact delivery missions can be helpful to obtain an alien corpse and get started with alien containment.
6. Shogg does not provide any real benefit. "The caves part" is one path to get promo III but there are others. Out of underground missions Chtonite Minibase Assaults are one way to get aliens and tech.
7. Osiron provides very good loot and access to syndicate plot arc. Very advisable to get started with it as early as you can (no real downsides), except you will have to know how to deal with the surf time mission with your naked agents (hint: dogs and camping in the left side of the starting building).
8. Early cyberweb arc provides one path for Promo III (but I have never been able to utilize that). Little early benefit, and you have to be careful. Ultimately will provide with a good transformation for your weak-PST soldiers, but it takes a while to get it. You will probably want laser weapons before dealing with the last 1-2 missions.
9. Cereal cult is just a random mission, not worth mentioning here.
10. Cult of apocalypse is reasonably straightforward arc that gives you rather easy access to a good transformation. You can usually start with this around Promo III or so, depending on RNG. This is probably the easiest way to get an ultimate transformation.
1. Defend earth. Wrt. basic cults Black Lotus is IMHO by far the easiest cult to deal with first (if you know how to deal with the assassins, i.e. with dogs and rats). Exalt mansion is a maze, but otherwise it's OK. Dagon and Red Dawn can be deadly for various reasons and I usually go there only after I have obtained Promo III and TAC + gas grenades.
2. MIBs and Hybrids are two completely different plotlines.
a) MIBs can be tough but if you know to deal with them, they give very good loot. You may want to defer researching MIB agent for a while, because if you do and also get info on David Vincent, you may get a one-time mission that can be a bit tough if you are not well prepared (at least Promo III).
b) Hybrid plotline isi unlocked usually either through Red Dawn HQ or Exalt HQ missions. Essentially you are already Promo III when this occurs. Dealing with controller mission is crucial in order to be able recruit alien hybrids for powerful psionics. Once you have done that, and trained the psionics, everything becomes very easy.
3. a) The first branch of syndicate plotline can be unlocked early. There is some OK loot and access to easy research. Advisable.
b) The second branch of syndicate plotline (data seizure) may need to be deferred a bit until you have craft(s) capable of shooting down their retaliation and a fast enough craft to get into the three second stage missions with 8-16 hour times (e.g. SKYMARSHALL). The second stage is extremely useful. It unlocks KITSUNE, an ultimate fast craft for going to missions.
c) The third stage of syndicate plotline is the syndicate regional HQ, where you can get Helix Knight transformation, which helps. The final part (Syndicate HQ) gives you the best transformation of the game and is very useful. The mission can be challenging without strong psionics. So progressing hybrid path (or good luck with RNG with hybrid defectors having strong PST) is advisable.
4. Zombie arc is essentially useless, and some zombie catacomb, vampire castle, etc. missions can cause losses and be tedious. The final prize of the zombie arc is IMHO not worth all this trouble. Just go forward with it until you get bored. You will want Zombie Trooper, though, but it's not really even part of the zombie arc. And zombies corpses can be utilized in the early game for manufacturing healing gel which is much more handy than regular healing kits at this point.
5. Underwater arc provides excellent loot: materials for plastic aqua-armors (very good overground as well), deep one corpses which will unlock biology and alien containment and thus allow later capturing and interrogating aliens, juggernaut suits from gillman heroes, huge amounts of cash, etc. Very advisable to go forward with it. Especially early abyssal artifact delivery missions can be helpful to obtain an alien corpse and get started with alien containment.
6. Shogg does not provide any real benefit. "The caves part" is one path to get promo III but there are others. Out of underground missions Chtonite Minibase Assaults are one way to get aliens and tech.
7. Osiron provides very good loot and access to syndicate plot arc. Very advisable to get started with it as early as you can (no real downsides), except you will have to know how to deal with the surf time mission with your naked agents (hint: dogs and camping in the left side of the starting building).
8. Early cyberweb arc provides one path for Promo III (but I have never been able to utilize that). Little early benefit, and you have to be careful. Ultimately will provide with a good transformation for your weak-PST soldiers, but it takes a while to get it. You will probably want laser weapons before dealing with the last 1-2 missions.
9. Cereal cult is just a random mission, not worth mentioning here.
10. Cult of apocalypse is reasonably straightforward arc that gives you rather easy access to a good transformation. You can usually start with this around Promo III or so, depending on RNG. This is probably the easiest way to get an ultimate transformation.