Rocket Launcher aliens a no-go

[ibanix]

During a recent terror mission I had the terrifying thought of a rank of alien that used a rocket launcher. I mean, hey, they want to kill EVERYTHING, right? Accept no substitute (before the Blaster Bomb)!

So I wrote the following to make a test "Heavy Gunner" sectoid rank, along with a change to force sectoids on most missions for debug reasons - so I could get one of these guys sooner. The ruleset "works" in that it does not drop any errors when enabling it in OpenXCOM. However, OpenXCOM crashes as soon as I land at a UFO which has my new aliens.

Any ideas? Thanks.

------------------------

# Alien Heavy Gunner aka RocketMan test
alienRaces:
  - id: STR_SECTOID
    members:
      - STR_SECTOID_COMMANDER
      - STR_SECTOID_LEADER
      - STR_SECTOID_ENGINEER
      - STR_SECTOID_MEDIC
      - STR_SECTOID_NAVIGATOR
      - STR_SECTOID_SOLDIER
      - STR_CYBERDISC_TERRORIST
      - STR_CYBERDISC_TERRORIST
      - STR_SECTOID_HEAVY_GUNNER
extraStrings:
  - type: en-US
    strings:
      STR_LIVE_HEAVY_GUNNER: "Heavy Gunner"
      STR_SECTOID_HEAVY_GUNNER: "Sectoid Heavy Gunner"
alienDeployments:
  - type: STR_LARGE_SCOUT
    data:
      - alienRank: 8   # rank starts from 0? using either value 8 or 9 causes crash
        lowQty: 1
        highQty: 1
        dQty: 0
        percentageOutsideUfo: 100
        itemSets:
          -
            - STR_ROCKET_LAUNCHER
            - STR_SMALL_ROCKET
            - STR_SMALL_ROCKET
            - STR_SMALL_ROCKET
          -
            - STR_ROCKET_LAUNCHER
            - STR_INCENDIARY_ROCKET
            - STR_SMALL_ROCKET
            - STR_INCENDIARY_ROCKET
          -
            - STR_ROCKET_LAUNCHER
            - STR_LARGE_ROCKET
            - STR_LARGE_ROCKET
            - STR_LARGE_ROCKET
units:
  - type: STR_SECTOID_HEAVY_GUNNER
    race: STR_SECTOID
    rank: STR_LIVE_HEAVY_GUNNER
    stats:
      tu: 60
      stamina: 90
      health: 30
      bravery: 80
      reactions: 63
      firing: 52
      throwing: 58
      strength: 50
      psiStrength: 40
      psiSkill: 0
      melee: 76
    armor: SECTOID_ARMOR0
    standHeight: 16
    kneelHeight: 12
    value: 10
    deathSound: 10
    intelligence: 4
    aggression: 2
# debugging only
alienMissions:
  - type: STR_ALIEN_RESEARCH
    points: 0
    raceWeights:
      0:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      1:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      3:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      5:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      7:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
    waves:
      - ufo: STR_SMALL_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P0
        timer: 9000
      - ufo: STR_MEDIUM_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P2
        timer: 7800
      - ufo: STR_LARGE_SCOUT
        count: 2
        trajectory: P4
        timer: 9000
  - type: STR_ALIEN_HARVEST
    points: 30
    raceWeights:
      0:
          STR_SECTOID: 100       
      1:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      3:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      5:
          STR_SECTOID: 100   
      7:
          STR_SECTOID: 100 
    waves:
      - ufo: STR_SMALL_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P0
        timer: 7800
      - ufo: STR_SMALL_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P2
        timer: 7800
      - ufo: STR_MEDIUM_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P2
        timer: 6000
      - ufo: STR_LARGE_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P0
        timer: 7800
      - ufo: STR_LARGE_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P3
        timer: 9000
      - ufo: STR_HARVESTER
        count: 1
        trajectory: P4
        timer: 3000
      - ufo: STR_HARVESTER
        count: 1
        trajectory: P4
        timer: 750
      - ufo: STR_BATTLESHIP
        count: 1
        trajectory: P2
        timer: 1500
  - type: STR_ALIEN_ABDUCTION
    points: 50
    raceWeights:
      0:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      1:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      3:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      5:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      7:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
    waves:
      - ufo: STR_SMALL_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P0
        timer: 15000
      - ufo: STR_MEDIUM_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P1
        timer: 18000
      - ufo: STR_LARGE_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P3
        timer: 9000
      - ufo: STR_ABDUCTOR
        count: 1
        trajectory: P3
        timer: 9000
      - ufo: STR_ABDUCTOR
        count: 2
        trajectory: P4
        timer: 60
  - type: STR_ALIEN_INFILTRATION
    points: 0
    raceWeights:
      0:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      1:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      3:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      5:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
      7:
          STR_SECTOID: 100
    waves:
      - ufo: STR_SMALL_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P0
        timer: 16500
      - ufo: STR_MEDIUM_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P1
        timer: 15000
      - ufo: STR_MEDIUM_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P6
        timer: 13800
      - ufo: STR_LARGE_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P7
        timer: 9000
      - ufo: STR_LARGE_SCOUT
        count: 1
        trajectory: P7
        timer: 60
      - ufo: STR_TERROR_SHIP
        count: 1
        trajectory: P7
        timer: 60
      - ufo: STR_SUPPLY_SHIP
        count: 1
        trajectory: P7
        timer: 60
      - ufo: STR_BATTLESHIP
        count: 2
        trajectory: P7
        timer: 60
# end
   

[Solarius Scorch]

I haven't tried, but I seriously doubt you can add new alien ranks.

If you want to give them rocket launchers, you need to modify the alienDeployments section - remove one alien's inventory loadout and put the launcher in there. You can even do it for all aliens if you feel particularly insane.

[Warboy1982]

additionally, there would be no compatible spawn nodes for them. maps support 7 ranks, no more.
yes i know we have 8 races listed, but the 7th and 8th races are both terrorists, and both use spawn node type 7s.

[Sturm]

Maybe aliens could use HE ammo for small launchers?

[Hobbes]

Maybe aliens could use HE ammo for small launchers?

Or Alien Grenades can be loaded into Small Launchers.

[ibanix]

additionally, there would be no compatible spawn nodes for them. maps support 7 ranks, no more.
yes i know we have 8 races listed, but the 7th and 8th races are both terrorists, and both use spawn node type 7s.

Ah, that would do it. Thanks.

I guess I could create additional alien deployments and set of some of the ranks in those to use Rocket Launchers....

[Fatrat]

Maybe aliens could use HE ammo for small launchers?

Done. https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=2561.0

[Ran]

Would enabling additional ranks involve a lot of work? 
I guess so...

The problem with the current set of ranks is that the aliens with heavy weapons i.e. engineers are almost exclusively restricted to the inside of UFOs where they are pretty useless. The Battleship is a good example. Th guys with Blaster Launcher stay on the top floor of the UFO until most of their comrades are killed, then they panic and drop their weapons or blow themselves up. I've been playing OXC quite a lot and I can't remember when I last lost a soldier due to Blaster Launcher attack, but it was a long long time ago.

So having a second soldier type as heavy support / sniper who can be positioned on elevated positions outside would make a lot more sense. An easy way would be to convert engineers to this by rearranging their spawning points and increasing their numbers but it in terms of game logic seems a bit weird that engineers would fill this role.

[Warboy1982]

Would enabling additional ranks involve a lot of work?

yes, you'd just have to edit every single .map file for starters.

[Sturm]

The problem with the current set of ranks is that the aliens with heavy weapons i.e. engineers are almost exclusively restricted to the inside of UFOs where they are pretty useless. The Battleship is a good example. Th guys with Blaster Launcher stay on the top floor of the UFO until most of their comrades are killed, then they panic and drop their weapons or blow themselves up. I've been playing OXC quite a lot and I can't remember when I last lost a soldier due to Blaster Launcher attack, but it was a long long time ago.

I suspect that any competent use of Blaster Launchers by aliens would make the game unplayable.

Which is why I removed them altogether from the alien side and instead gave them higher reaction and accuracy .

Or maybe commanders could use some sick melee or short ranged weapon for inside of the ship.

[Solarius Scorch]

As they are now, aliens are completely inept at using Blaster Launchers when compared to the original game.

[El Yahpo]

Or Alien Grenades can be loaded into Small Launchers.

Or any grenade???

As they are now, aliens are completely inept at using Blaster Launchers when compared to the original game.

What happened?

[Solarius Scorch]

Or any grenade???
What happened?

Nothing happened, they just don't use them much, compared to the original game.