Messages

16

The X-Com Files / Re: Another balance thread

« on: October 02, 2022, 10:13:43 am »

As to the tech tree search, making a full 2D tech tree is pretty much impossible (at least if humans are supposed to read it). There are third-party tools to show you snippets of it, and the in-game browser does show you the prerequisites and unlocks pretty well, and allows you to hyperlink yourself to what you need with passable efficiency. I think most mod devs consider the tech tree viewer a sort of cheat anyway, and would say that a 'new inexperienced user' should keep away from it. Honestly, a 'new inexperienced user' should actually keep away from any and all megamods as well.

Yeah totally.  I mean i get it, like us hardcore players want that sense of discovery in this mod like we had in the original xcom as we figured out what tech paths were important and what werent.  The difference is the OG game only had around 50 different techs to figure out.  so learning the tree as our 10 year old selves wasn't too daunting.  however this game literally thousands of techs.   At a certain point you HAVE to give the players some leeway when its changes this drastically.  I believe this calls for that.  I'm also not asking for much, just a filter like what already exists in the 'what can be researched' screen.

 Something that allows the user to say 'hey. i feel like im falling behind in xcom vehicles... what should i be looking for' and they navigate to the xcom vehicles tech portion.  as it stands now, unless i know the specific names of the vehicles i cant figure out what tech paths to take without looking at a wiki.  so the search is useless unless i already know what to look for.  For example, unless i know the name of the katsuni vehicle... im not going to be able to search for that using the current system.  however if there was a category breakdown like in the UFOPedia of 'xcom vehicles' and Katsuni was next in the list after humvee.  I could work toward that.

17

The X-Com Files / Re: Another balance thread

« on: October 01, 2022, 05:46:17 am »

Solarius disagrees a lot with other peole's balance complaints, usually with little or even outlandish justifications.

to be fair, he should.  no one really knows the ins and outs of the mod like he does.  that doesn't mean there doesn't deserve tweaks here and there.  but ive been around game forums for 20 years and people cry foul over balance for all sorts of things.  people rarely *playtest* like they should to truly discover balance issues. 

things like certain guns being less powerful than others in game when compared to real life are like... who cares for me.  half the fun is figuring out what works well.  hell, some card games (like hearthstone) are literally designed with this in mind.  building in discovering what items, cards, weapons.. etc.  are better than others as part of the fun.

my only gripe is more UI based for a proper tech tree search.  empty search trees are typically a big no no for new inexperienced users.  its not a horrible thing... but it definitely creates an unnecessary newbie hurdle.   i mean all that ends up happening is people just go to a wiki or some other forum post to find the information, so all ur really doing is just making it more difficult by proxy.

18

The X-Com Files / Re: Re: Cultist MANOR spawning rate and evolution speed

« on: September 30, 2022, 01:56:30 am »

i feel like something similar happened to me in my recent campaign and i was just on veteran.  i got to nov/dec 1998 and i was completing every mission just fine but every score at end of the month was -1700 and i couldn't for the life of me figure out how this was happening after several reloads and replays of the 2 months.  Now based on this thread it seems i had manors spawned all over the map and didnt know.  (only 3 were showing but migs would attack from all over heading to missions)

I definitely feel this should be tweaked, or at least have the player notified. 

And getting into the conversation about who the game is balanced for.   the research tree pretty much requires game knowledge already.   I mean yeah i get it.  it has a search feature.. but as a new player, if i dont even know what to search for (which i dont) a search feature doesnt really do me much good.   it needs branching system so you can break down into the tech tiers and see whats there.  its broken down in other areas (like the filters on the available tech to research screen)  the tech tree should have something similar.  not just an empty screen with a search bar.

19

The X-Com Files / Re: is there an agent rank limit?

« on: September 29, 2022, 03:50:30 pm »

An earlier link was given where you can see the rank limits of soldiers. This one is. X-Files uses the same system as the vanilla UFO and TFTD games. Each high ranked soldier requires a certain number of lower ranked soldiers. The fact that in The X-Com Files the soldiers are called agents doesn't change anything.

holy crap, i literally never knew this was a thing. LOLOLOL.  probably because i couldnt ever keep my soldiers alive long enough for it to matter.

20

The X-Com Files / Re: is there an agent rank limit?

« on: September 29, 2022, 06:47:11 am »

25 agents should mean you don't get a Chief Agent, only a Commissar, two Captains, five Senior Agents and 17 Agents. I just spent half an hour leveling up exactly 25 agents, and that's exactly what I got. No eternal Rookies, no Chief Agent.

this makes it sound like theres definitely a cap based on the number of agents available.  is that correct?

21

The X-Com Files / Re: is there an agent rank limit?

« on: September 28, 2022, 09:55:28 pm »

yeah i meant senior agent.  not special. lol my bad.

im floating around ~25 agents total so im certainly not even close to the 250 space.  what exactly is the 'field promotions' thing you are referring?  i was definitely poking around and hitting some buttons, is it possible this is some setting to change?

22

The X-Com Files / is there an agent rank limit?

« on: September 28, 2022, 05:54:27 pm »

title.  More specifically, are you only ever allowed a certain number of 'Special Agents' etc?  I'm in Nov 1998 and none of my agents seem to be ranking up out of rookie anymore.  Considering how fast I got agents to senior, captain, etc.  It seems strange none of my regular agents are ranking up.  For example, I have a basic 'agent'  with  17 missions and 26 kills.   I kinda feel like there should have been a level up in there.  They actually have more kills than an agent currently at senior (but 1 less mission).  and none of my senior, captains, etc are climbing up to chief and they are well beyond the threshold where my current chief was when he ranked up. 

Also if there is a cap on ranks, whats the sweet spot of agents? seems having a large pool is of less value?

23

The X-Com Files / Re: Some newbie Qs

« on: September 16, 2022, 05:30:26 pm »

I don't have the cult networks yet because I can't seem to find any of the Lads and other guys.  Are they different graphically?  So far I haven't noticed anyone look any visually different in the missions.  I started just capturing literally everyone once i realized i wasn't finding the Lads assuming they visually look exactly the same like Vanilla Xcom, but this hasn't produced any results in the 2-3 missions ive done this for.

And 4-5 missions every few days is pretty spot on.  It looks like theres a mission cap at 3 missions at a time(at least so far).  I've tested this spamming the 1 day timer.  3 missions will pop instantly about once per day then stop.  those will stay until they start to despawn, once they do, theres ~1 day gap, then each day another mission spawns until i have 3 again.  rinse repeat.

it looks like regardless if i complete the missions instead of simply letting them expire the gap before the next mission starts is still the same.

for example.  a mission starts and i instantly complete it, the replacement doesnt show up for 2 days.  however if i let it expire over those 2 days as soon as it expires the next one appears.  (the numbers are just example). 

This totally may not be how it works, but its how in my very limited testing, it appears to be working.  All of this is beside the point though, lol.  it looks like the expectation is that all missions be completed with the few exceptions of bad spawns or just simply failed.

24

The X-Com Files / Some newbie Qs

« on: September 16, 2022, 07:52:51 am »

So im a few hours in around Jun 1997 and im finding my progress getting a little stuck.   I haven't been able to progress any on the cult stuff.  None of the tier 2 enemies for research are showing up that i can see (Red Dawn Lad etc.)

Ive watched some videos on youtube and im seeing people waaaay farther progressed than I am by this point.  With labs and such.  I don't feel im even close.

I'm also noticing I'm getting 4-5 missions every few days.   Am I really expected to do ALL of these missions?  after my 10 hours of play so far its getting really really tedius to still be fighting cult missions with just 2 guys (although now theres sometimes 4-5). 

Am I missing something here?  Did I miss some major tech thats suppose to progress me out of this?  I have the fast 2 man car, the researched 'Shotgun' with its 3 ammo types.  Pretty solid squad of agents and kevlar.  2 vans,, and the Xenobiologist, my first of the 4 required researchers.