Messages

121

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities

« on: December 23, 2022, 07:32:39 pm »

Well, Alpha's is pretty maze-y and chupacabr-y and I do I have flashbacks of it. Thing is, with vanilla monsters most underground base missions are pretty much the same long, boring-but-intimidating hunt for these sneaky last monsters or droids (cyberweb heist). It's just too much of the same experience.
With leeroys I guess it would more fun? I'm not sure.
Although, MIB->Magma attack and Red HQ does feel different.

Yeah Osiron was my first idea, they fit the theme very well, but gameplay wise - I dunno. Existing missions are pretty RNG and aren't much of a challenge that battle for kitsune needs.
And making new mission would kinda defeat the purpose of the hunt.

122

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities

« on: December 23, 2022, 04:55:18 pm »

Not exactly a bug, since it doesn't cause any issues, but it is an internal typo. I will fix it.

I mean, there already was MIG_29 interception mission (actually also with typo - STR_CULT_GREATEST_MANOR_MI29_INTERCEPTION).
And there is STR_MIG17 defined in UFOs, but it isn't used in any mission.
Thus I assumed one of the cults was supposed to use MiG-17 instead of both using MiG-29, as of now.

That being said they're all essentially the same but still...

Now spawn a new 'alien' base somewhere in the Amazon that has been
overrun with Chupacabras!

This feels like already overused trope. Dr. Alpha's base, Syndicate spider base, every other chupa hunting mission.

I think something like scavenger hunt would be cool. Break mothballed kitsune into multiple parts, and beating some mission enables event for getting the part. For example, divide parts between four cult HQs, so you only get kitsune when you beat them all.

Or between four cult manors of any tier, as it's a tool that lets you somewhat ignore them.

123

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities

« on: December 21, 2022, 07:48:42 pm »

Though LBs also need double the pilots, so that's an extra cost if you keep losing them.

You don't lose them if you patrol and don't target UFOs specifically. Or something like that.
I actually consider that a feature of LBs - double bravery train 

True. Did Solarius put in some more roadblocks to getting the Kitsune, I forget?

Seems to be just Promo 3 and Kiryu-Kai history.

124

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities

« on: December 21, 2022, 07:29:24 pm »

Technically they do. Stingray is range 30, cultist MiGs are range 25. But hunter-killers don't really care about range.

Only Mirage and MiG-17 is range 25, Phantom and MiG-29 are 30 range.
But this is somewhat major. Since your MiGs are fast, you can, in theory, juke Mirage by switching attack/escape while staying in 30 range.

By the way, MIG19 mission (also instead supposed to be 17?) uses MiG29, maybe bug?

Code: [Select]

  - type: STR_CULT_GREATEST_MANOR_MIG19_INTERCEPTION
    retaliationOdds: 0
    raceWeights: {}
    operationType: 6
    waves:
      - ufo: STR_MIG29

  - type: STR_CULT_GREATEST_MANOR_MI29_INTERCEPTION
    retaliationOdds: 0
    raceWeights: {}
    operationType: 6
    waves:
      - ufo: STR_MIG29


Multiple birds can work, but they're unreliable, tend to take casualties

And MiGs aren't better in terms of HP or dodge. With good pilots both can be used, but birds are cheap to replace and maintain.

and are short-range (on the globe)

MiGs actually have shorter range than birds. (=
They seem to be trade-off rather than upgrade.

Ignoring the little matter of killing 60-odd maniacs armed with heavy weapons, local reinforcements, alien servants, no cover, etc, sure.

It's a good challenge on ironman, pretty manageable with osprey. But with savescumming? A cakewalk. Manors are essentially emergency free points.

Also there's another way to go around manors - get to sweet, sweet incredible KITSUNE-106. But it's locked behind some RNG and Promo 3.

125

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities

« on: December 21, 2022, 06:14:17 pm »

Is that even explained somewhere?

No. You can infer it from gameplay if you pay attention. But I agree that some article or event wouldn't hurt.

But that would be bad design, because it essentially forces you to throw 60 hours of playtime into the bin and start from scratch. You can't just ignore those missions either or you'll lose on points.

Suicide little bird into manor guards, wait until guards come inside the manor. They won't spawn again for 2 weeks. Then attack with dragonfly (you should have osprey at this point though).
Here you go, 1000 points.

126

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities

« on: December 21, 2022, 05:42:14 pm »

That's not really practical, you'd need at least 3 hangars in every base. And that's likely not enough because enemy MiGs mostly spawn in pairs of 2. So it'd be 2v2.

For me it was 4v2 and I did have 3 hangars per base. Some - 2. You'll need multiple interceptors later anyway, and then also move them because they don't cover the entire globe.

I don't see how that's the players fault. Until I read about manors here in the forums, I didn't even know they spawned the crafts. I thought they were protecting the mission.

Manors grow in tiers over time and need at least 10 months game time before spawning MiGs. So they're either too rare and minor so you can't even understand what they do, or a serious problem that you notice and prepare for.

IN THE END OF THE DAY: manor patrols are not the end of the world, you can play and still do most missions while simply staying away from those cities. Manors are supposed to be mostly an inconvenience, and I think they are. Of course, sometimes it will bite you hard, but that's what enemies are for.

Yep, even losing transports to manor guards isn't that big of a loss anyway. Your soldiers return, it's just craft and items that are lost.
But even beyond that. With big enough financial buffer, you can TPK entire 16-people crafts multiple times and the campaign will proceed just fine.

127

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities

« on: December 21, 2022, 04:58:46 pm »

As I wrote before, you can use multiple birds to beat cult MiG's.

MiG-31 doesn't really solve the problem.
It has even less HP than little birds, 20 against 26.
It can use missiles, but the missiles don't outrange cult MiGs.
So you're about as prone to lose MiGs vs cult MiGs, as you do little birds. With MiGs being waaay more costly. It's a downgrade, imo.

Interceptor is cut above with it's 100 hp, but still pretty meh and even more costly, and still has no dodge bonus.

The only thing that MiG and Interceptor can do that bird can't is potentially bring down small or medium scout UFOs if they slow down. But you may as well just take landing UFOs for free.

Raven is the first adult interceptor that can faceroll both cult MiGs and early UFOs. But chances are, that it's just UFO navigation research away from much better thunderstorm.

Realistically, swarming cult MiGs with helicopter shouldn't be possible, is it?
So i'd suggest buffing MiG's durability and lowering it's cost way down so it would be worthwhile to use in the first place.
About it's tech tree place, I think it's fine. Being able to buy promo 3 rocket launcher AFTER you're able to buy MiGs is weird. And it's partly player's fault for allowing cult manors to grow in first place anyway. Although getting rid of 22+ manors wasn't walk in the park.

128

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities

« on: December 20, 2022, 07:31:24 am »

But they don't guard any manors (at least I don't see them). I see them around normal cult missions like Assassinations and Outposts among others.

These missions are frequently generated by manors, though - it spawns an UFO that rides to a particular point and creates a mission site. If your craft is flying somewhere and is suddenly intercepted by 2+ ufos then you probably flown over a manor. You need to detect it first by patrolling, like classic alien base.

For a better interceptor I recommend going straight for thunderstorms. It's possible if you beat at least one downed or landed alien UFO. The intermediate stuff feels mostly like a waste of money.

Also don't forget good, possibly best pilots.

129

The X-Com Files / Re: The X-Com Files - 2.7: Spectral Entities

« on: December 19, 2022, 04:28:36 pm »

That's a good idea, except I don't have any interceptors. I have a Little Bird craft, but it just gets oneshot before it's able to do anything.

You can stack multiple little birds with HMGs (shift-click in intercept menu) to get rid of even strongest manor guards. Could lose some of them though, but you won't lose pilots if approach the manor itself instead of UFOs.

130

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

« on: December 17, 2022, 07:49:13 am »

You can get armor from researching mib shock, but there's no adaptation manufacturing after researching. Why tho?

131

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

« on: December 07, 2022, 11:47:16 am »

I've completed magma zombie lab but accidentally sold all zombie trooper corpses. Thus i got magma msg 2.
And if i read rules right, magma lab won't spawn anymore because of
`researchTriggers: STR_MESSAGE_FROM_MAGMA_02: false`.
So, I locked myself out of implant upgrades, right?