Enhanced Sectopod

[wsmithjr]

So, was browsing the wiki when I was learning to mod the ruleset.  Came across a mod for the Sectopod at https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Rulesets_(OpenXcom) which I figured would be cool to try out.  Anybody else try these?  These suckers are brutal, and I didn't even up the stats as much as indicated on the page.  Here's the stats I used:

  - type: SECTOPOD_ARMOR
    spriteSheet: X_ROB.PCK
    corpseItem: SECTOPOD_CORPSE_
    frontArmor: 145
    sideArmor: 130
    rearArmor: 115
    underArmor: 90

  - type: STR_SECTOPOD_TERRORIST
    race: STR_SECTOPOD
    rank: STR_LIVE_TERRORIST
    stats:
      tu: 82
      stamina: 120
      health: 135
      bravery: 110
      reactions: 80
      firing: 100
      throwing: 0
      strength: 90
      psiStrength: 160
      psiSkill: 0
      melee: 80

Can't even imagine what that battle would have been like had I given them 110 TUs.  'Course, it didn't help that I just assaulted a terror ship with 8 of them.  First time through that battle was pretty funny.  Got them the 2nd time but lost 4 soldiers in the process.  I think the Sectopods need some enhancing from the stock, but that's probably a bit too much. 

[kevL]

frontArmor: 153
sideArmor: 137
rearArmor: 116
underArmor: 96
damageModifier:
- 1.0 #none
- 0.86 #ap
- 0.43 #in
- 0.65 #he
- 1.43 #laser
- 0.87 #plasma
- 0.0 #stun
- 0.7 #melee
- 1.0 #acid
- 0.0 #smoke

tu: 62
stamina: 90
health: 105
bravery: 110
reactions: 64
firing: 60
throwing: 0
strength: 90
psiStrength: 200
psiSkill: 0
melee: 80

intelligence: 4
aggression: 2

- type: SECTOPOD_WEAPON
power: 123
damageType: 5
accuracyAuto: 47
accuracySnap: 86
accuracyAimed: 119
tuAuto: 46
tuSnap: 37
tuAimed: 67


- am using these stats w/ Genius multipliers. Nothing very special, I like to just nudge things and haven't gotten to alien tu/stamina/reactions/firing yet. The point to keep in mind, though, is balancing it against your Heavy Laser etc! (and i will pull out early if i forget to bring one two).

Reactions & FA strike me as the big two, but i myself wouldna like to go as high as 80/100...


if BlasterLauncher power is lowered to 185, these guys survive direct hits ~50% a lot

[luke83]

I always intended having varying "Strength" aliens show up later in game to scale the Difficulty right up, this is why i started playing around with the Colour Replacement sprites to have something to go with these HARDER enemies.
https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,737.0.html

[kevL]

great idea. But i think they'd have to be coded as new alien races, even if their names stayed the same and only the colors and their stats change

 


Or... can these pseudo-ranks be created and deployed in the ruleset ...?

[luke83]

great idea. But i think they'd have to be coded as new alien races, even if their names stayed the same and only the colors and their stats change

 


Or... can these pseudo-ranks be created and deployed in the ruleset ...?

Yep , that is what i was thinking ,  i am "having a break" from OXC this year ( Well Mostly) due to study commitments, i have no idea if this is a possibility within the Rulesets Yet or not.

[wsmithjr]

- am using these stats w/ Genius multipliers. Nothing very special, I like to just nudge things and haven't gotten to alien tu/stamina/reactions/firing yet. The point to keep in mind, though, is balancing it against your Heavy Laser etc! (and i will pull out early if i forget to bring one two).

Reactions & FA strike me as the big two, but i myself wouldna like to go as high as 80/100...

if BlasterLauncher power is lowered to 185, these guys survive direct hits ~50% a lot

At one point, there were 3 of them bunched up and I threw 5 Alien Grenades in the middle of them (instant explode), and they didn't even care.  But, yeah, those high stats were pretty painful, especially the reactions

What are your thoughts on balancing them with the Heavy Laser?  I did bring 2 in my battle (every one else had laser rifles along with their plasma weapons which is probably not a good idea for the future), and they can bring them down, but it takes about 2-4 shots to do so.  I turned my Heavy Laser into more of a Laser Sniper System to follow up from the conventional Sniper Rifle mod:

  - type: STR_HEAVY_LASER
    weight: 18
    power: 85
    damageType: 4
    accuracySnap: 70
    accuracyAimed: 170
    tuSnap: 33
    tuAimed: 75

I've been relatively happy with them.  At least there's a reason to use them now.

BTW, what does alien "aggression" stat do?  I believe I read that "intelligence" is how long the unit remembers where you are, but have no idea about "aggression".

I am "having a break" from OXC this year ( Well Mostly) due to study commitments, i have no idea if this is a possibility within the Rulesets Yet or not.

Not the thread for it, but just wanted to say I really love your extra UFO designs.  Really looking forward to when you have a chance to finish them.

Thanks for the comments.

[kevL]

At one point, there were 3 of them bunched up and I threw 5 Alien Grenades in the middle of them (instant explode), and they didn't even care.  But, yeah, those high stats were pretty painful, especially the reactions

uh, before I striked ~50% above, i did some math:

BL, 185 * 0.65 - 96 = ~24 pts.
AG, 90 * 0.8 - 90 = n/a

i'm just kinda making those figures up ( ave.damage * he-resistance - underarmor = damage ). Note that HE does 50-150% ave.dam. At best i figure a standard alien grenade can do 18 pts damage to yer local Sectopod, with about a 70% no damage at all.

Edit: in the original each square took damage. Wouldn't surprise me if this is ironed out in oXc and dam is applied only once.

What are your thoughts on balancing them with the Heavy Laser?  I did bring 2 in my battle (every one else had laser rifles along with their plasma weapons which is probably not a good idea for the future), and they can bring them down, but it takes about 2-4 shots to do so.  I turned my Heavy Laser into more of a Laser Sniper System to follow up from the conventional Sniper Rifle mod:

  - type: STR_HEAVY_LASER
    power: 85
    damageType: 4
    accuracySnap: 70
    accuracyAimed: 170
    tuSnap: 33
    tuAimed: 75

I've been relatively happy with them.  At least there's a reason to use them now.

Laser rifles could be pretty good if you're getting side & rear shots. I've boosted my Heavy lasers to take on the frontal armor ( i could stand dropping it a half-dozen pts. ) but partly balanced this against TUs. I notice we both increased accuracy

  - type: STR_HEAVY_LASER
    weight: 19
    power: 122
    damageType: 4
    accuracySnap: 72
    accuracyAimed: 107
    tuSnap: 40
    tuAimed: 66

plasma is useless & just gets somebody killed

BTW, what does alien "aggression" stat do?  I believe I read that "intelligence" is how long the unit remembers where you are, but have no idea about "aggression".

The only thing i can say for sure about aggression is that in the original, a value of "2" got them trotting out the UFO door on turn 20. I assume in oXc it might determine something like how quickly they run for cover when injured...

[wsmithjr]

uh, before I striked ~50% above, i did some math:

BL, 185 * 0.65 - 96 = ~24 pts.
AG, 90 * 0.8 - 90 = n/a

i'm just kinda making those figures up ( ave.damage * he-resistance - underarmor = damage ). Note that HE does 50-150% ave.dam. At best i figure a standard alien grenade can do 18 pts damage to yer local Sectopod, with about a 70% no damage at all.

Edit: in the original each square took damage. Wouldn't surprise me if this is ironed out in oXc and dam is applied only once.

Thanks, never thought to do damage analysis like that ... just kind of changed things to what looked good.   Will remember to do that for the future.

And, if you're correct about the HE damage to large units, while a worthwhile fix, I'm sure not looking forward to Triscenes when TFTD is working.

[kevL]

tip about all this: i keep a notepad open in the background while playing. Whenever I get an impression or make a decision about a ruleset change, make a note of it. Then go through the list and try to implement them after each session

for me, this really cuts down on egregious errors, and over time a give&take 'balance' just seems to appear.